Bound By Magic
by InuyashaForever1989
Summary: Her father brought her a strange gift… she thought she’d seen somewhere. When he leaves, however, something happens, and Kagome finds herself the owner of an inuyoukai slave. SessyKag -- beware OOCness / AU
1. A Gift

_**Summary:**_ Her father brought her a strange gift… she thought she'd seen somewhere. When he leaves, however, something happens, and Kagome finds herself the owner of an inu-youkai slave. Sessy/Kag

InuyashaForever1989: This Fic is one of two I have dedicated to KibaSin who came up with the name and the summary and who is allowing me to use them thank you

Disclaimer- I do not own the characters of Inuyasha

Chapter 1 - A Gift

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Kagome had woken up early that morning. She didn't know why but she was excited today and felt something was going to happen. Although she didn't know if it would be good or bad she kept her hopes high for now.

Upon entering the dinning hall she sensed someone, someone familiar. She followed her miko powers to the source of the aura and found she had been right about today. She found her father in his study working. To many people this may have seemed normal, but to Kagome it was wonderful. Her father had been gone, for almost two years now, on business. She ran and gave her father a hug; she was so happy to see him again.

"My dear little Kagome," her father said brushing some of the stay locks of ebony hair from her face, "I have missed you so much. Now what are you doing up so early?"

Kagome shrugged, "I don't know I was just excited today, I must have sensed you coming." She gave her father a smile. She was 17 yet she still couldn't help but act like a happy little kid while she was around her father.

"I guess you would," he said giving her a smile, "Your powers are getting stronger are they not?"

Kagome nodded her head, "Yes, Keade is a very good teacher." Kagome beamed Keade was the best she was like a grandmother to her. "So are you staying long this time," she asked hopefully despite the fact that he never stayed long, because of his work.

"I don't know how long I will stay this time but it will be a couple days at least," he replied to her. He sighed; his little girl was growing up without him, his son too. "So, how's your bother?"

She smiled once again as she dove into her stories of her little brother along with anything else she could remember at the moment. Hours passed and a servant finally came into the study with the announcement of breakfast being served. "Come on we'll go surprise everyone else now," he whispered into her ear. She nodded and happily walked out of the study with her father following.

Breakfast had been wonderful. The entire family was together, which hadn't happened for almost two years, and everyone was so happy. Souta was absolutely ecstatic to see his father again and Kagome's mom was delighted to have her husband home.

Everyone spent the rest of the day catching up. Souta was retelling some of Kagome's stories and some she had left out earlier.

The next day Kagome met up with her friends Sango and Kikyo. She was in her room that was painted a light pink that she hadn't cared for since she was seven, but she never really felt like changing it so pink her room remained.

"So your dad's home, huh?" Sango asked looking around at the pink walls. Kagome nodded as a reply. Sango hadn't really ever met Kagome's father, he was always away on business. But, of course he would be, as one of the ningen leaders he often had to travel keeping the peace amongst themselves as well as between them and the youkai.

"It must be nice to have him home even if it's for a little while," Kikyo added also looking at the pink walls. They both seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Kagome sighed, "I'm not changing it; it's too much trouble."

The two girls looked at her. "So now you're a mind reader as well as a miko?" Sango asked her voice was highly sarcastic. Kagome smiled at her friends knowing she was right. They argued about changing the color of the room for about the thousandth time and Kagome stood firm with her decision.

Soon the two girls had left. Having stayed for dinner they got to meet her father for the first time in a while. Now she was getting ready to go to bed when one of the servants came in to inform her that her father wished to see her.

She quickly finished getting changed and went to the study that she would always find her father in when he was home. As she walked in she noticed that he seemed to be distracted. "Father?" Kagome spoke softly not wanting to startle her father from his thoughts.

He turned his gaze to her. His eyes looked as though his mind was some where far from here. "Kagome . . ." he paused looking for the right words to tell her, "I'm leaving now. I have urgent business to attend to, but first I need to give you something." He held out his hand to her.

She stretched out her hand to his hesitantly and he dropped and small crystal ball into her hand. The crystal had a faint glow and was attached to a necklace. She placed the crystal around her neck then said, "Thank you, but why did you give this to _me_?"

He smiled at her. "Because you are the only one I can trust to guard it. This crystal is called the Shikon No Tama. It is very powerful and I don't want it to fall into the wrong hands." He looked to his daughter's confused face. "I know you will take good care of it. Goodbye Kagome," he said kissing her on the forehead and walking out of the study.

Kagome didn't understand. It looked like an ordinary piece of crystal, but her father wouldn't lie to her so there must be something special about it. She examined the Shikon No Tama and she felt like she had seen it before somewhere, yet she knew she hadn't. She pushed those thoughts to the back of her of her mind as she headed for her bed room.

Little did she know that someone had been a witness to the scene. "So he has passed the jewel on to the girl, very well then," said a deep and cynical voice. He needed to gather more information on the girl before he could attack her and gain possession of the jewel. He silently slipped off into the shadows.

- With Kikyo and Sango

"Maybe we should get her a present," Kikyo said out of the blue.

Sango gave her a strange look. "What for?"

"I don't know, just to get her something," Kikyo started to look around the market place though few stores were open this late.

She spotted an open stand and ran over to it. "Kikyo, you know Kagome doesn't like those," Sango reminded her friend.

Kikyo half glared at Sango. "She may not like them, but she should have one anyway. I mean everyone has one, she will just have to get used to it," Kikyo stated bluntly. Sango sighed as Kikyo shopped. "That's the perfect one," she said to the shop keeper as she pointed to what she wanted. She then turned to Sango, "We can bring it over to her tomorrow."

"I'll have no part in this. I won't have her get mad at me for your stupid idea," Sango marched away Kikyo following behind her.

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InuyashaForever1989: Chapter one is done yay. Hmm . . . Now what could Kikyo have bought Kagome? Please review you know you want to.


	2. Strange Day

Review Responses

LynGreenTea - And so I wrote some more.

hellspixie18 - Thank you!

KibaSin - I really glad you like it and hope it comes out as good as you hope it will

AmayaGinKagome - The first chapter was kind of rushed because I just wanted to get the first one out so this one should be longer. (A/N: Beta?)

UsagiMoon - Hehe, glad you think so.

Liady Tigra - I always update as soon as possible but with school, writers block, my other fics, and my piece of garbage computer sometimes it takes me a while, or maybe only I think that usually I won't wait more than two weeks to update. Oh, and I'm very happy you like it.

sesshomarunaraku - Yay, thank you!

Meijer Brand - Sorry about that, but no matter what I can't help making Kikyo at least a little evilish.

THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING!

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Chapter 2 - Strange Day

Kagome woke up again; this was the fifth time she had woken up tonight since her father left. 'Well at least this time the sun is up,' she thought with a sigh. If she couldn't sleep then she would just have to stay up; she would have gotten up soon anyway.

When the servants got up Kagome informed them that her father had left so they wouldn't prepare breakfast for him. But besides that she didn't really have anything to do.

She couldn't take it anymore she was going stir crazy just sitting there, so she decided to go for a walk. It had been so long since she had walked through the gardens, she had almost forgotten how beautiful they were. All the different colors were blending in the warm spring time air.

She soon relaxed and for the first time since last night she looked at the little jewel hanging around her neck. 'The Shikon No Tama,' she repeated in her head, 'I wonder what it does exactly.' Kagome sighed and decided to do some research and started off for her father's study.

She never made it though, because she was called to the front door being told that her friends were here. As she entered the waiting room that lead to the door she found her friends sitting patiently. After saying "hi" she noticed someone else was with them.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the man, looking him up and down. He was tall that's for sure, he also had strange yet beautiful markings on his face; they consisted of four purple strips two on each cheek and a blue crescent moon on his forehead. After her brief examination of him she then she looked back to her friends.

"I had nothing to do with this, Kagome, I swear to god," Sango stated before Kagome even registered what was going on.

So Kagome looked to Kikyo. "He's a present for you, silly" Kikyo giggled out. Kagome was more than angry, it took everything she had not to jump on Kikyo and pound some sense into her so called friend.

She sensed the young man to be a youkai, which meant that he could have been a slave for who knows how long now, because they lived so long. Kagome didn't like slaves and she certainly never kept them; always setting them free to do as they please, but they were all human slaves. She remembered hearing about how it was different with youkai slaves, though she never really remembered what that was. Besides, the longer someone was a slave the harder it was to get them used to real life.

Kikyo handed Kagome some papers and she stared down at them dumbly. "There his papers, sign here" Kikyo explained as she lead Kagome's hand to the line where she was to sign. Kagome was in a daze still and had no idea what Kikyo had just said as her hand moved to form her name on the paper. "There now he's all yours."

Kagome snapped out of her surprise at that last statement. "Wait a minute, what did you say!" Kagome practically yelled as her friends where about to leave. Kagome didn't want to be alone with this guy. Not to mention she wanted to squeeze the life out of Kikyo.

"He's all yours, you just signed the papers," Kikyo informed her. Kagome stared blankly at the papers she had just signed.

"Why you-- Kikyo you little-- you tricked me, get back here right now!" Kagome screeched as loud as she could at the closing door, but it didn't do any good and the door shut leaving her alone with him. 'Oh, now what,' her mind raced she didn't know what to do now, well I guess I'll start with a name.

Kagome sighed and walked up to the man that now belonged to her. "Um, hi," she said to start things off and he gave a bow. She stopped for a minute and examined him more closely, something about him bothered her. When she got to his face she found it, his face was completely expressionless and it made her really uncomfortable. "So, what's your name?" Kagome asked shyly. He merely gestured to the papers. She glanced down at them, "I know that they probable have your name on them, but I rather hear it from you."

He shifted uncomfortably this time like he wasn't used to this and Kagome understood that he probably wasn't. "Or if you really don't want to you don't have to," she added quickly, but her added statement only seem to confuse him further. He still showed no emotion on his face most likely hiding it, but his eyes betrayed him as she saw the emotion flicker through him quickly.

"Sesshomaru," was all he said. Kagome smiled even if he did sound cold at least she got him to talk.

"I'm Kagome," she said cheerfully, "Well I guess we need to find you a room, hmm." Kagome thought about it for a minute none of the spare rooms were prepared yet and it might take a while to get one ready. Well might as well get started, she thought as she summoned one of the servants and asked him to prepare a room for Sesshomaru. Then she turned to him, "Is there anywhere special you would like to sleep?"

He once again pointed to the papers. Kagome looked down at the papers she was holding and read them. "Oh so you can't be to far away from me, then the room next to mine should be ok," she said although she felt like she was talking to herself. She thanked the servant and sent him on his way. Now what was she going to do.

"Um, would you like to go for a walk?" he just stood their so she started to walk and he followed. She went to the gardens again. She defiantly needed to calm down and she never felt better than when she was in the gardens.

Kagome looked around at the whirling colors and took a deep breath as she felt a spring breeze lift her hair. She was right this was just what she needed to clear her head, now the only question was what to do about him. She had a feeling that he wasn't going to tell her anything else, he just seemed so closed off so she set to work looking through the papers to find anything that would help.

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Sesshomaru was utterly confused. Why did this woman want him to speak, normally his masters or mistresses forbid him from saying a word. Then she asked him where he wanted to sleep, this was even stranger to the youkai. He was never asked what he wanted to do and usually when it was a mistress he stayed by them during the night.

Now they were outside just walking around. He liked going outside sure, but mostly he was confined to a room in the house. 'What is she up to?' he thought speculating in his mind all the things this seemingly innocent girl was planning.

He saw her studying the papers and this only made him more suspicious that she was planning something. She looked up from the papers in a bit of confusion. "Um . . . could you help me out here?" she asked him in a small voice.

Sesshomaru mentally raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. Kagome continued, "Well I want to set you free, but I'm not sure how since there's something different about youkai slaves that I can't recall." Kagome waited a minute, but he still didn't answer.

What did this girl take him for? What did she mean that she didn't know about youkai slaves? Sesshomaru wondered about this for a moment. Could she really not know? 'Wait a minute,' Sesshomaru's other thoughts were interrupted, 'did she say set me free?'

Kagome feeling that she wasn't going to get an answer from him decided to say something. "Well I guess I can find out on my own if you don't want to tell me. Now let's see now," she scanned the papers again. "It says here that you're an inu-youkai."

He just stared at her, although in truth he was lost in his own thoughts and not really looking at her. Kagome blushed a bit and turned back to the papers. "Could you explain this part to me?" Kagome asked pointing to a specific part on one page.

Sesshomaru inspected the part in question. When he read it his eyes widen the slightest bit and his face went pale. It was the section on how to punish him. If she didn't know what that was and how to use it he sure as hell was going to keep it that way. Kagome saw the reaction and quickly pulled the paper away. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know anymore," she said sincerely. She had known that it was something about punishment but it was just a word and she didn't know what it was for.

Kagome looked around at all the flowers and sighed. It had been a long morning it looked about time for breakfast, though she probably missed having it with her family. She looked back to Sesshomaru and wondered if he was hungry too. "Sesshomaru are you hungry?"

Sesshomaru didn't make a move. 'He probably is,' she thought. "Come on, let's go get breakfast," she said as she led him to the dinning room. There was no one there except a few servants clearing away some dishes. "Excuse me," she began when she pulled one aside, a young girl, "But could you get us something to eat, it seems we missed breakfast."

The girl nodded then looked to Sesshomaru then back to Kagome, she looked a little frightened by the presence of the inu-youkai. Kagome put her hand on the girls shoulder and gave her a reassuring look to tell her that everything was ok. The girl smiled and ran off in the direction of the kitchen.

The girl came back with a lot of food more than was needed for just two people. "I said just the two of us why did you bring so much?" Kagome looked at all the food and wondered why.

The girl giggled, "Well you're the one who didn't tell me what to bring." Kagome sighed in mock aspiration then couldn't resist giggling herself.

"Oh Sesshomaru I did forget to ask you what you would have liked to eat. I hope Sakura brought something you like," Kagome turned to him. He didn't even flinch; Kagome wondered for a moment what she was going to do with him. Sighing she grabbed her breakfast and quickly sat down. "Just pick what ever you want and sit down.

Sesshomaru promptly obeyed and sat next to her. Kagome thought that was odd how he had acted just then. So being the sweet girl she was she voiced her concern, "Sesshomaru that was kind of weird, the way you acted just then, you know that?"

This girl really didn't know anything about youkai slaves; most likely she had only had human slaves before. He decided it was his responsibility to tell her so he could start to hate her like all the others. Sesshomaru took a deep breath and began, "It is part of the spell held over me by the papers you signed. I must do as you command and if I try to resist then I'm punished."

Kagome looked down at the papers at the word there again. "But I would never--"

"Not that word, that is separate. The spell will punish me by itself if I don't obey," Sesshomaru interrupted her objection. Kagome clasped a hand over her mouth as she gasped and stared wide eyed at him for a moment, then turned solemnly back to her food.

Needless to say she had surprised him once more. He couldn't except that she could be different and just told himself that she was just pretending; it's not like it hadn't happened before. The rest of the day was spent in an uncomfortable silence in the study.

Sesshomaru noted that she had picked up a book on Youkai slaves even though he thought he had explained it there was apparently something else that she wanted to know, she also had a book that Sesshomaru didn't get to see. The book had been lying on top of the desk in the study and it appeared to be the real reason she had come here.

They spent the rest of the day in there and had lunch brought up. Later into the evening it was demanded that Kagome come down for dinner. Upon her arrival in the dinning room all turned to see the tall inu-youkai that trailed in after Kagome.

Kagome looked around and wondered why they were all staring. 'Sesshomaru,' she had completely forgotten. Was she already that used to him? She turned to her mother and introduced Sesshomaru. "Mother, this is Sesshomaru. Kikyo 'gave' him to me," Kagome stressed the word gave; she still didn't like the thought that she owned someone. Her mother looked shocked to say the least, but only nodded for Kagome and Sesshomaru to take a seat. She knew that Kagome would treat him properly anyway.

Dinner was quiet enough; Souta had a few stories to tell even if they were mostly made up or over exaggerated or even both. Sesshomaru looked around the table there were three other people besides him and Kagome. The woman was Kagome's mother and the boy with black hair looked similar to Kagome so he assumed that this was her brother. When he laid his eyes on the last he was a bit puzzled. It was a young boy, very young, no more than five or six with red hair. The boy appeared to be a kitsune and the young kit seemed to fit in well with the others.

The two boys began to squabble about how a story went almost as if they were really brothers. Kagome giggled she was happy that the two were having fun even when they were arguing. Shippo the kit had been orphaned and Kagome had taken him in, he even considered her like a mother and called her so now.

"I'm going to bed now," Kagome yawned. It had in fact gotten very late and she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either. As she got up Sesshomaru followed her, her mother gave her a worried look, but Kagome never saw it and headed up to her room.

Kagome looked back to Sesshomaru who had followed her out of the dinning room. She wanted to ask him so much, but she figured it wouldn't do any good. Sighing she walked to her room, but before she reached it they came to a door where a servant was standing outside the room. They exchanged a few words then Kagome turned back to Sesshomaru. "Your room is ready, although it's a little thrown together," she told him sort of apologetically.

Sesshomaru opened the door, inside was a large dresser and a king size bed with what looked like silk sheets. He was in awe; there was no other word for it. The only rooms he got were usually small, dark, cold, and didn't have a real bed, but he didn't let his guard down not for one second or so he thought. Kagome saw the amazement flicker through his golden-amber eyes. Hmm, that was weird she hadn't noticed his eyes before they were a beautiful almost golden color and she wondered how she had missed it.

She didn't have long to admire them though as she continued on to her room. Sesshomaru's gaze followed her to the next door and she smiled as she looked back to him. "Goodnight Sesshomaru," she said then proceeded to open her door and walk into her room.

Sesshomaru walked into his room and shut the door just waiting for someone to come and pull him out saying there had been some sort of mistake, but no one came. The entire house was quiet, even with his enhanced hearing he couldn't hear anything sound within the house.

He lay there for a few hours on his bed awake. He still couldn't quite believe all this. Then a sudden jolt of fear and panic raced through him as he jumped to his feet. He knew there was something wrong with her, with Kagome . . .

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InuyashaForever1989: Yay, all done for now, so what so you think. I worked really hard this time and I found a great cliff hanger spot too, or at least I think it's a cliff hanger. Anyway review please and tell me what you think. (oh yeah i could use some help: what are C2s. please and thank you)


	3. First Night

Story Reviews

Saluka - Here's the new chapter hope you're not to crazy

LynGreenTea - Thanks for the encouragement.

bluerosepunk - Yeah? Actually I think I've read a couple like this. Hmmm?

Envy's Love - I'm glad you like it.

Ghostly Green - I'm working on it thanks.

Golden-Eyed-Girl - Well kinda.

KibaSin - Thanks I was wondering, because someone added this to a C2.

AmayaGinKagome - Sorry, I'm just not very sure what I'm doing with this yet hopefully I did better on this Chapter.

Orlando-Inu-Lover - Umm I don't know what you're talking about the anonymous review, but I couldn't find it.

Megan Consoer - Don't worry more chapters on the way.

hellspixie18 - Thank you and hope you enjoy the new chapter although things might be moving to fast now. I'm not really sure.

Sasori-sama - Well I guess it's actually been a while since I updated.

CelestialDragon219 - I'm so happy you liked it, enjoy the new chapter.

SimpleOne - It's all in this chapter. Thank you for the explanation as well.

Lady-Rose-Moonlight - THANK YOU!

Liady Tigra - Sorry, but this one is actually a little shorter. If I wrote longer chapters than updating would take even longer and I'm behind as is.

Chapter 3: First Night

Sesshomaru lay there for a few hours on his bed awake. He still couldn't quite believe all this. Then a sudden jolt of fear and panic raced through him as he jumped to his feet. He knew there was something wrong with her, with Kagome.

Wait why did he care? It must be the bond they now share, but it never affected him so strongly before. Perhaps it was because she had yet so show him any ill will that he couldn't over power the bond with the normal feelings of hate. Unable to stand the call of the bond any longer he rushed to the door and out into the hall.

Sesshomaru looked to her door, it was open somewhat. As he rushed for the open door he caught an unfamiliar scent near by that seem to be coming from Kagome's room, although since his mind was so clouded over he couldn't tell how long ago that the person had been there, but he new it was recent. He darted into the room to find it empty. He could still feel her fear and for some reason, a deep overwhelming sadness so at least she was still alive.

Sesshomaru scented the air, she wasn't too far off either, but there was another scent mixed in with hers that he could not pinpoint the location of.

He rushed from the room following her scent down the long hallway and flights of stairs. He soon found himself back in the gardens they had visited earlier. He scanned the garden, but he didn't see anyone, Kagome nor was this other strange scent present even though he was sure they were both here. Just as he was about to leave he approached a large rose bush and he began to hear a light sobbing.

Sesshomaru peered around the bush to find Kagome. She was sitting on the ground with her legs tucked into her chest, her arms rapped around her legs and her forehead resting on her knees.

He released a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding and would never emit that he had.

Kagome turned her head at a slight rustling sound that came from her right. She wanted to be alone right now; she always did when this happened. This occurred regularly and she could only calm herself. It was another nightmare. Sometimes they were memories and other times visions of what had yet to come. The memories were the worst, because they weren't hers, but from other tortured souls that were in enough disappear to reach her.

Kagome turned in the direction of the one who was approaching her. Sesshomaru was standing there bathed in moonlight. His golden eyes shone and his silver hair dancing in the wind. Kagome could see the question in his eyes, wait she could see it. She searched his face, the stone mask that he had earlier had vanished from his face and left only his emotions to run free.

She was staring at him; what was she looking at? He watched as she searched his face and he realized what she was studding so intently. He could now feel the alien emotions flickering through his eyes. He put a stop to it immediately. He never allowed anyone to see his emotions and he'd be damned if she was going to see him with his guard down just because she acted all sweet now.

Kagome watched as his face became cold once more. "I would like to be alone now," she informed him as she tore her eyes from his.

Sesshomaru stood there and she wondered why he wouldn't leave. Then she remembered the question she had seen in his eyes and thought that maybe if she answered it he would leave. "I'm fine," she began in a shaky voice, "I just had a nightmare that's all."

'A nightmare? I've never sensed such fear from a simply night mare before,' he thought considering her explanation of the situation. There must have been more to it, but for now it would seem that would have to do.

He felt his feet start to move and he believed himself to be leaving until he came out of his thoughts and found he was moving toward her. He sat down on the grass beside her and, unable to control anything else he was doing at the moment, he looked up at the moon. Tonight the moon was full and lit the garden with its pale glow.

He felt the girl shiver, weather from the cold or something else entirely he couldn't tell. He turned his gaze to her.

The tears that streamed down her face became drops of silver in the moonlight. His mind went back to the events of the day. She had been so kind if not a bit uncomfortable. 'Could she really be different?' he asked himself. He tried to shake the thought, but it came back to haunt his mind. It seemed the question would not be forgotten until it had been answered.

He looked back to Kagome and felt the sudden urge to hold her and comfort the girl beside him. He cursed the spell that bound him to her, but the spell had never made him feel such things before; he always made sure of that. He sighed inwardly and merely sat there staring at the sky.

Kagome felt herself calm down a bit, which was strange considering it usually took till sunrise for her to get her feelings under control. She looked to Sesshomaru who had come to sit next to her. His aura was comforting when normally another's presence at the time would only upset her further.

She looked at Sesshomaru who was staring at the moon. 'How beautiful,' she thought getting lost in her head and she felt almost completely better.

Sesshomaru could sense that she had calmed down which in turn made his head clear so he was free to think again. He concentrated on the unusual scent from earlier. Who ever the scent had belonged to had been trailing Kagome, but had left about when he had arrived. He would have to keep a close eye on this Kagome.

'Wait why would I do that?' he asked himself. As he turned the question over in his mind he felt a warmth on his shoulder that pulled him from his thoughts. He looked down to see that Kagome had leaned on his shoulder no on his tail and was slowly drifting to sleep there.

Kagome was studying Sesshomaru intently when she came to the fluffy pelt over his shoulder. It seemed strange for a slave to own something like that. Suddenly it moved on its own. Kagome almost jumped out of her skin with that one. 'Its part of him!' she exclaimed in her head. She suddenly felt like she wanted to touch it, but she was a little worried as to what his reaction would be.

The more she looked at it the more she wanted to touch it and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the fascinating appendage. Without even thinking she reached out her hand and gently stroked it. Sesshomaru didn't seem to notice. Finally she just wound up resting her head on 'it,' hmmm she still wasn't quite sure as to what it was just yet. It was so soft and warm that she found herself beginning to nod off when she felt Sesshomaru shift a little.

'Ahhh, stupid what do you think you're doing?' Kagome scolded herself as she lifted her head and began to blush when she suddenly felt warm all over.

Sesshomaru smirked so she liked his tail, huh? Suddenly it looked as if she came out of her daze with realization and she sat up. Then Sesshomaru's mind began to wonder. He wrapped his tail around her and the blush he had noticed before became a whole new shade of red.

'Oh my god, what is he doing? Although it's is so soft and warm. But that's not the point!' she argued with herself as Sesshomaru looked on in amusement.

At first she looked surprised, then it change to what looked like contentment, and then she seemed frustrated. Sesshomaru knew he had probably gone too far now and she was finally going to punish him, but at least he pushed her further than most. He closed his eyes awaiting some sort of pain that . . . 'Never came?' he wondered to himself.

He opened one eye to see what she was doing now. She still sat there with one of the reddest blushes he had ever seen. He opened his other eye and stared at her expectantly.

'Why is he staring at me like that? He's the one wrapped around me, so why do I feel like I'm on the spot here?' Kagome thought a bit annoyed. She was finally able to will her thoughts into words and then those words into sentences so she spoke, "Umm . . ."

'This is it,' he thought.

". . . Could you p-please let go of me. I really am fine now and I want to go back to bed," she finished surprising the hell out of Sesshomaru. He knew that he had been rude and when he had talked to her today, although he had said very little, he made sure that his voice was cold to her, and now he had touched her without her permission. How far would he be able to push this girl before she broke?

Kagome wondered briefly if she had done something wrong for Sesshomaru had this somewhat dazed look on his face. He was still rapped around her and she was starting to feel sleepy again. Her eyes became heavy and it was hard to keep them open. Soon she allowed the comforting warmth to take her over as she fell into a peaceful rest.

Sesshomaru was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt her body begin to relax in the grip of his tail. He noticed that her breathing had evened out and she had fallen asleep there, with him. He felt a strange sensation run through his body, some alien emotion he could not decipher. He quickly stomped the feeling down deciding to ignore it.

'I suppose now I have to bring her back to her room,' Sesshomaru half complained to himself. He sighed and lifted her up with his tail into his arms, but after she refused to let go of his tail in her sleep. After shortly getting lost in the large mansion he found his way back to her room.

He had left the door open so he didn't have to put her down or anything to get inside. He crossed the room to a large bed in the middle of the room. When he put her down she still clung to his tail and refused to let go. 'How bothersome,' he thought as he sat down on the bed next to her.

He looked down at her sleeping form that had a death grip on him. He sighed, she probably wasn't going to let go anytime soon either.

Sesshomaru took this time to look around Kagome's room. It was huge; there was just no other word for it. Then despite being so large it was awfully empty. All that the room consisted of was a bed, a desk with makeup and other items scattered over the top of it, another door that seemed to be a closet, and a small stand that sat next to the bed.

As he looked around his eyes came to the small stand that had a couple of books that Kagome had grabbed from the study that they had been to earlier. There were quite a few books on youkai slaves and he shuddered slightly at what she might learn from those books.

There was another beneath that. It was rather small, red and bound in what he believed to be silk. He barely remembered this book as she had tried to hide the fact that she had picked it up. This sparked Sesshomaru's interest as he took the book off the stand. He unbound the book and looked at it intently. The book had no title, but the front was decorated with a purplish, pinkish sphere.

When he opened the book he found that it was very old as the pages were beige and fragile. As he read the first page Sesshomaru found himself dumbstruck. He turned his head to look at Kagome once more and he wondered. 'This is going to be interesting to say the least,' he thought as he went back to the book.

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InuyashaForever1989: New chapter is finished and I know it's shorter, but I don't have time to make it longer right now. I have other fan fics to update and I wanted to update this one. Anyway I hope to update again soon hopefully with a longer chapter. . . . . . Oh yeah, and don't forget to review I want to hear what you have to say, no flames please.


	4. A Long Day

InuyashaForever1989: OMG! I am so sorry it took so long to update. Since my last update a million things have been going on here and I thought I would never update again, but here it is. I'm so behind on everything so I might not be updating regularly for a while, sorry again.

A big thanks to all of those who reviewed (don't really have time to respond to all reviews sorry)

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Chapter 4: A Long Day

When he opened the book he found that it was very old as the pages were beige and fragile. As he read the first page Sesshomaru found himself dumbstruck. He turned his head to look at Kagome once more and he wondered. 'This is going to be interesting to say the least,' Sesshomaru thought as he went back to the book.

Kagome woke up that morning and felt something warm and furry wrapped around her. She snuggled into it opening her eyes just a little and shutting them immediately at the bright light that filled her room. Then she heard what sounded like someone clearing their throat and her eyes snapped open to find Sesshomaru sitting on her bed. "W-what are you d-doing in here?" she managed to stutter out.

He pointed down to Kagome's hands as an answer. She looked down to see that that furry thing she had snuggled up to was the thing she had found was attached to Sesshomaru. Suddenly she 'epp'ed and dropped the fluffy appendage on to the bed.

Sesshomaru promptly put it back onto his shoulder. He had been thinking a lot last night and decided that he would have some fun and push her as far as he could. "It would seem you took a liking to my tail last night," he stated flatly. Kagome's head snapped up, but not in the anger he had expected, it would seem to be wonder.

"So that's what it is then?" she asked, delighted that he had spoken to her on his own. "I wondered what it was." She smiled at him brightly and moved to get off the bed. There was a knock at the door and the announcement of breakfast.

Kagome quickly went to her closet to find a Kimono to wear for the day. She found a red one with flowing pink and blue petals embroidered on it. She blushed and politely asked Sesshomaru to turn around so she could change even though she was behind a changing screen. When she finished changing she left her hair down in it usual waves.

She looked to Sesshomaru who seemed to be staring at her pink walls. "Oh no, not you too?" she whined/asked as she came out from behind the screen.

"What do you mean?" he asked, curious even though his voice didn't show it.

"My friends have been hounding me to change the color for years now and I can see you don't like it much either, but it's just too much trouble," she explained, the complaints from Kikyo and Sango floating back to give her a fresh headache, but she tried not to let it show.

Ever since the sun had risen and he could see the color of the room he had wondered at why the young woman's room was pink like a child's room would be. He hadn't dwelled on the matter as he had other things on his mind that night. The book in which she had tried to hide was very interesting and lead him to wonder about some things, mostly things about the jewel that she wore around her neck.

She sighed and put her hands up as if she gave up and moved across the room toward the door. "Shall we?" she asked as she opened the door. He got up off the bed and followed her out.

Breakfast in her house was pretty boring that morning. Everyone was there, but it was rather quiet compared to last night's dinner.

Sesshomaru looked around at everyone, stealthily so no one would notice that he had. He found the reason to be that the two boys, who had done most of the chatting last night, were still half asleep. It made sense seeing as it was still very early.

He still didn't know what the kitsune's connection with this family was. Maybe he would ask later. 'That was strange,' he thought. He never dared to ask anything before, but he had to admit that there was something strange about this one, even if he still didn't fully trust her yet. It would seem though that he didn't have to ask.

"Mama, can Souta and I go to the stables today?" the kit asked with big green pleading eyes. So it would seem he did have a relation to this family. He had expected Kagome's mother to answer the question, but was a bit surprised to hear Kagome was the one to reply.

"Alright, but be careful around the horses. You remembered what happened last time, right?" came her warning answer.

"Yes, mama, thank you," the boy replied as both of the children rushed out of the room.

Sesshomaru turned the situation over in his head. The boy was five or six. The girl was 17 or 18, which meant she would have to have been about 12 or so when she had him. Even though he wasn't exactly an expert on humans that fact didn't seem quite right to him. There was also the fact that the boy was a full blooded youkai, not a hanyou. The only ningens known to have full blooded youkai children were-- no, that wasn't very likely, besides the way he figured it this girl was far too young to have had a child of that age anyway. So then, why did this boy call her mama?

Kagome looked over to Sesshomaru. She hadn't told him about Shippo, actually with the lack of just about any conversation she hadn't told him anything. Hmm, maybe she could talk to him some time today after her plans. As she finished her meal she noticed that Sesshomaru was already done and waiting for her, noting that he never really ate all that much. She gave a slightly embarrassed sort of smile. It was weird to have someone waiting for her to finish.

Getting up from her chair she proceeded out of the room with Sesshomaru in tow. "Um, well, I promised to meet up with Sango and Kikyo today. I hope you don't mind tagging along," Kagome informed him in her usual, uncomfortable, low voice.

"I see," was his only reply.

"Yeah were going shopping, maybe we can get you some new cloths or something," Kagome suggested. This time Sesshomaru wasn't as shocked, he was actually beginning to expect it of her, which to be honest, unnerved him a bit.

"Miss Higurashi, your friends are here," the young girl who had been introduced as Sakura informed Kagome.

"Sakura I told you, call me Kagome, you know I hate that formality stuff," Kagome half-heatedly scolded the girl then smiled and moved down the hall toward where her friends were waiting.

Kagome was actually happy; she had wanted to give Kikyo a piece of her mind ever since yesterday. As she entered the waiting area she spotted Kikyo and plowed right into her knocking them both to the floor, Kagome on top trying to choke the life out of Kikyo.

"I saw this coming," Sango sighed as she just stood there and watched. Sesshomaru walked in and was shocked to see Kagome attacking . . . attacking . . . that bitch who bought him in the first place! He could feel his anger steadily rising, but was some how set at ease by the fact that Kagome didn't seem to happy with the girl either.

Sango and Sesshomaru exchanged looks. "I'm sure as hell not going to stop them," Sango put in and Sesshomaru nodded. It actually looked like it would be suicide if he tried to stop Kagome at this point.

Suddenly the screams and yells filtered through and Kagome said, "What the fuck is your problem!" Well, that was unexpected, Sesshomaru didn't expect her to say things like that, then again he didn't expect her to be rolling around on the floor trying to kill someone either. When did he form expectations of her?

"What the fuck is _your _problem!" Kikyo screamed back. It didn't matter, Kikyo knew what she did and Kagome wasn't going to let her walk free on this one, she knew how she felt about slaves.

After a while of watching this, as amusing as it was and how Sesshomaru hated to do it, he felt he should pull Kagome off of the woman. As he did so he noticed that she didn't have a scratch on her, while the other woman was quite roughed up. She had a few minor scratches and a lot of bruises.

"Let me go, damn it!" Kagome screamed into Sesshomaru's delicate ears as he held her by the back of her kimono and she struggled in his grip to be put down.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes as Kagome tried to reach for the still gasping girl on the floor. "I thought we were going shopping," he tried to change the subject. Kagome stopped her moving about and just gave an aspirated sigh as if to give up. Sango decided to help Kikyo off the floor keeping a close eye on Kagome as Sesshomaru put her down. Almost immediately Kagome tried to go for Kikyo again but was caught in mid-leap by none other than Sesshomaru. "Maybe you two should go," he suggested hanging on to Kagome and wondering what on earth had gotten into the girl. Sango nodded and led Kikyo to the door and out of the house.

"Why did you let her go like that!" Kagome whined loudly while fighting to be put down. To be honest he didn't know why. He didn't like that girl, but there was something about the way Kagome was acting that he disliked even more. Kagome finally calming herself looked up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry I yelled, it's not a pretty sight when I get upset. Kikyo is just so inconsiderate and it just--" she had to stop and take a breath to calm down again. "If it's any constellation it doesn't happen all too often," she smiled as if trying to lift the mood.

"I see," was all he said as he vaguely wondered why he couldn't get on her nerves like that. She caught his eye when she looked down at the floor where oddly enough her feet weren't touching. Just then he realized that he was still holding her and put her down quickly.

"Well, I guess we should get going," Kagome chimed, back to her usual, happy self. Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow in an unspoken question to Kagome's last remark. "Sango and Kikyo may not be here now, but I still want to go shopping," she explained and grabbed his hand and headed for the door.

For what seemed like hours to Sesshomaru, Kagome dragged him from shop to shop buying whatever caught her eye mostly consisting of things for him. She, also, insisted on carrying the packages on her own, but by the time she was done she had so many that Sesshomaru had to help or she would have fallen over in her attempt. By the time they got back to her house Sesshomaru was extremely tired. Kagome on the other hand was perfectly fine, she was probably used to the shopping trips though. They put the packages down and some of the servants took them up to Kagome's room.

While walking down the hallway Kagome spotted something out of the corner of her eye out of a window. Turning her head she found it to be one of the horses from the stables. "Shippo! Souta!" she yelled for the two boys knowing they were responsible. The two peeked out from behind the corner of the hall up a head. "You let the horses out _again_?" she said as more of a statement that a question. She looked to her little brother first, "Mom's going to want to talk to you." Souta nodded as she turned to Shippo, "And as for you, what did I tell you about if you were going to the stables?"

"Not t-to l-let out the h-horses," he stuttered and looked up at Kagome with big green pleading eyes. He had been doing that a lot lately and she wasn't going to let it work this time.

"Your rooms, now," Kagome hissed out trying to keep her cool, reminding herself that they were just kids. Both boys ran in the direction of the stairs proceeding to go up them and to their respective rooms.

Shippo peaked his head out of his room at the top of the stairs to add, "Sorry mama," and ducked his head back into the room closing the door.

There it was again, the boy called her 'mama'. Sesshomaru found himself bugged beyond all reason by the fact. Mostly, and he wouldn't admit it, because it would mean someone would have had to touch her to conceive a child.

Kagome sighed; she could never stay mad at Shippo for long. She looked back at Sesshomaru who had been witness to it all, yet he didn't seem fazed in the least. She wondered if now would be a good time to have that little talk she had been planning for today. 'Might as well I suppose,' she thought to herself and she knew the perfect place to have such a conversation. She continued to walk down the hall with Sesshomaru quietly following behind her. She noted at the back of her mind that his foot steps were so soft, almost nonexistent, as he trailed behind her.

Kagome stopped in front of two grandly carved doors. Sesshomaru mentally raised an eyebrow in question as to what they lead to. She gave him a wide grin as she moved to push the doors open to reveal, possible, one of the largest rooms he had ever seen. All of the walls consisted of shelves and all the shelves were covered with books. His bed room could have fit in there about 10 or 15 times over and from the appearance of the ceiling the room went up two floors.

Kagome had to stifle a giggle at the sight of Sesshomaru's slightly dazed expression, no matter how little it showed she could tell. "Come on, we can sit over here," she directed him to what looked like red velvet chairs. The chairs were in the rear left corner of the room surrounded by piles of un-shelved books. She took a seat and he took the one directly across from her. Sesshomaru began to feel the slightest bit intimidated by her as she stared intently at him with purpose.

Kagome finally broke the tense silence and the unofficial staring contest they had started with, "I thought maybe we should talk."

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InuyashaForever1989: If this seems shorter than the last chapter it's not really, it's just missing the review replies. Anyway those of you who want to know what's in the book may have been a little disappointed. I hinted to it and you can pretty much guess what it's about, but the full revealing will be saved for the next chapter along with talking some other things out. And as always REVIEW, and no flames please. Ja ne.


	5. Talking

InuyashaFoever1989: Yes, I'm still working on this one. Sorry it took so long for the new update, but for some reason I seem to be having the most trouble writing this one. Anyway I'm trudging though it just for you people so don't worry I will finish it somehow. Here's the latest update hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter 5: Talking

Kagome finally broke the tense silence and the unofficial staring contest they had started with, "I thought maybe we should talk." Kagome wasn't sure on how to start things off. "Is there anything you would like to know?" 'There we go good job Kagome,' she thought as she mentally patted herself on the back.

Sesshomaru sat stunned. 'YES!' he thought, but showed no sign of it. He had about a million questions about this strange girl. He sorted through his thoughts and decided to go with the most recent one he had been wondering about. "The boy," he said with far less interest then he felt, "The kitsune youkai. He is your son?" He tried to look bored like he didn't really care about his question, but listened very carefully for the answer.

Sesshomaru's act was wasted however because Kagome didn't even notice as she was too happy that they were actually speaking. "Um, well, actually, he's adopted. I found him in the garden one day and well he's grown very attached to me, so I've sort of become like a mother to him." Kagome grinned at the thought of the small boy.

Sesshomaru nodded, that made sense he supposed. "But why would you take in a youkai child?" he wondered out loud with out realizing it.

Kagome was surprised at the question. She had never given much thought to the fact that Shippo was a youkai. To her he was just a small boy who needed and looked up to her and that's what she told him. "Well, I guess I never thought about it much. I mean youkai or not he's just a child who needs me. Besides I was never one to view youkai any different from ningen. I know we are really different, I mean we just shouldn't be treated any different is all," she explained herself.

Sesshomaru sat almost in shock. He had never heard of a ningen who had that kind of view on the world, and only a very few youkai. This girl was truly strange. Seeing how she just kept surprising him he decided to ask a question of something that he hadn't thought much about. "You have a strange aura, different from a normal ningen's." Sesshomaru had originally just brushed it off, but brushing anything off now just seemed a bad idea.

"Oh, that," Kagome mumbled and looked at the floor. Well it would seem she was aware of it, anyway. "You see, I'm . . . I'm a miko." Kagome let her statement hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "I've been training since I was little, although Kikyo is a lot better than I am." Kagome muttered the last part.

Sesshomaru was even more stunned then before. Being a miko made her point of view even more unique. Usually mikos thought youkai were beneath them and a good deal of them thought that youkai didn't even deserve to live. He doubted she was lying because what she was telling him was just too unbelievable. Then he thought of that woman, Kikyo had been her name, she was also a miko. Sesshomaru shudder at the thought. 'A woman like that with that kind of power was a frightening thing. Well, might as well move on to the next question, "Why did you attack that girl before?"

Kagome's eyes went wide and she blushed. "W-well you see she knows perfectly well that I don't like slaves and yet she went out and bought you for me anyway. She can just be so inconsiderate sometimes and I don't like her much in the first place." Kagome sighed, "I guess she just pushed a little too far this time."

"You don't like slaves?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"No, I don't. I think it's a horrible thing to do to a person and it needs to be stopped, but so few other people think that way that it's kind of difficult to do. I've never bought or kept a slave. Whenever I receive one I always buy them the papers to set them free. The fact that you're a youkai makes it a lot more complicated though. I looked through a couple books but I can't find anything about setting you free." Kagome let out an aspirated sigh.

Sesshomaru just stared at her. Did she really mean it? Could she really want to set him free? He'd been a slave for so long he could barely imagine it. "Do you mean that?" he asked in a low voice, not really sure if he wanted the answer.

"Of course I do!" Kagome said. "I just need to find out how to do it first, of course if you knew it might be a lot easier."

Of course Sesshomaru knew. When Sesshomaru had first been captured it had been all he could think about but he didn't dare do it to this girl. He told her anyway. "The only way I know of is for you to die while you still own me," he said quietly. "Customarily we're passed along before our previous owner dies so we're not freed as often as you may think, unless they die unexpectedly."

Sesshomaru glanced over at Kagome. "I-I have to die?" she asked in shock.

"It is the only way I know of," he repeated himself.

"Oh, I see. Well I'll just have to keep looking for another way then." She smiled brightly at him. "And if all else fails you'll be free when I die because I won't pass you along like some object."

Sesshomaru wasn't surprised any more. After talking to Kagome, all the things she told him he knew she was different, but the thought of her dieing . . . unnerved him. Perhaps it was because he couldn't block that stupid bond. Normally people were so cruel to him he could build up a great deal of hatred. He had discovered that he could use it to block the emotional part of the bond, the part that urged him to care for the person he served. This time though he had no anger or hatred to do that with.

"How old are you?" Kagome asked out of the blue. Sesshomaru blinked at her, that was unexpected.

"Several hundred years," he answered as if it were a common thing to live so long. Kagome was shocked at first but he was a youkai so it was common she guessed. (AN: I don't know how old he really is if anyone knows just leave a comment, please! Thanks.)

"Oh, well, I'm 17," she told him back. "So where are you from?"

It would seem she wanted to ask some questions now, and it seemed only fair. "West," he answered simply.

"So I guess you're pretty far from home considering we're in the east," Kagome mused. "Do you have any family?"

"Yes, my father," he informed her, then he thought some more, "And a half brother. He was very young the last time I saw him. He's a hanyou."

"A hanyou, wow, that's uncommon." Kagome continued to quiz him for a while asking whatever question popped into her head and he learned some things about her as well, until it got very late.

"Ok, one last question." Sesshomaru nodded, it was about time, he thought that it would never end. "I was wondering, about those markings on you face, do they mean anything? I heard once that markings on a youkai can mean different things like status and power and stuff like that."

Kagome was a smart girl, indeed his markings did mean something, but he wasn't going to tell her just yet. "Nothing," was all he said to her.

"Oh, ok." she beamed at him and he almost felt bad for lying to her, but that was a part of his life he didn't want to share. Kagome looked out the window, "Wow, it's so dark out, we probably missed dinner."

Kagome stood up and stretched out. "Let's go," she smiled at him and headed for the door. Sesshomaru nodded and followed after her. After they left the room Sesshomaru didn't act any different then when they had gone in. His face was expressionless, his demeanor cold, and if he spoke his voice would probably chill to the bone, but Kagome new they were closer now and that he trusted her somewhat and that made her happy. Now she just needed to find a way to free him without killing herself.

They walked down to the dinning room and indeed they had missed dinner. Kagome sighed, "Well, is there anything special you want for dinner, it's really late we may have to make it ourselves." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her last statement. "What's the matter? Can't cook?" Kagome teased. "Don't worry, I'll show you how." She giggled all the way to the kitchen.

When they arrived Kagome went over to the refrigerator and opened it. "So what do you want?" she asked. Sesshomaru peered into the refrigerator and just shrugged his shoulders. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. "Let's see now," she said to herself and took a few things out. "How do you like pasta?" she asked and smiled.

"Ok," he said and followed her over to the counter. She put her things down and walked over to the cabinet and took out a container that had spaghetti in it. She had to stand on her toes to grab it and when she did she lost her balance and fell back. She braced for impact with the floor but she was caught in a pair of strong arms.

Sesshomaru noted that Kagome was quite small and seemed almost fragile in his arms. Her warmth seeped through there cloths to reach for him but he shook his head and cleared whatever strange thoughts were trying to plague him now.

"Sess-Sesshomaru, t-thank you," she said blushing. Sesshomaru put her back on her feet and nodded in return. Kagome scurried back over to the counter and put the jar down. She ducked down to the cabinets beneath it and grabbed out a pot. "Could you fill this with water for me?" she asked and he took to pot and went and got the water. Kagome motioned for him to put it on the stove where she had lit one of the burners and he set it down.

He turned to look at her almost curiously, as if wondering what she would do next. "I need to get a couple other things, could you mix these please?" Kagome handed Sesshomaru some sauce and some seasonings and went off to rummage through the cabinets again.

Sesshomaru stared at the bowl curiously. No one had ever wanted him to cook before; he wasn't that kind of slave. He picked up a spoon that had been lying on the counter and began mixing in small amounts of all the spices and such that Kagome had given him. 'Well, this isn't too hard,' he thought to himself.

Kagome came back over with a couple of plates and another pot. She grabbed the pasta and put it in the pot of now boiling water on the stove. She then tried the sauce that Sesshomaru had been stirring. "Wow, that's actually not bad. It's good in fact, really good. Are you sure you've never cooked before?" Kagome asked and Sesshomaru shook his head. Kagome smiled up at him and transferred the sauce to the pot she had just gotten and set it next to the pasta on the stove. "I thought slaves did that sort of stuff," she voiced her thoughts.

"I'm not that type of slave," Sesshomaru informed her.

"Then what type of slave are you? Do you clean or something?" Kagome asked, looking a bit confused. Sesshomaru shook his head once again. Now Kagome was really confused. If people didn't get slaves to cook and clean and stuff like that then what did they get them for? "Well, I don't know what else you could do then."

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to sigh. Could Kagome really be so naïve that she didn't realize what other purpose a slave could have? Now he felt a little uncomfortable explaining it to her seeing as she didn't seem to understand in the slightest. "My purpose was . . . in the bedroom," he tried to explain it delicately.

Kagome looked confused at first and then got a slow look of realization and a cherry red blush painted her cheeks. Kagome cleared her throat and could only manage an "Oh." She shifted her weight from foot to foot for a moment and then remembered about dinner. "The spaghetti should be done soon, now where's that strainer."

Kagome walked over to the sink and opened the cabinets beneath it and pulled out a larger white strainer and then placed it in the sink. She walked over to the stove and took off the pot that contained the spaghetti and carried it over to the sink and dumped it into the strainer. She shook it a few time to remove as much water as she could and then put it back in the pot.

"You certainly seem like you've done this before," Sesshomaru voiced his thoughts absentmindedly.

Kagome smiled over at him. "Yeah, I used to do it all the time when I was little. I'd come in here and help cook. Then when I got older I started my miko lessons and other things so I couldn't do it as much any more." She looked almost sad when she mentioned that. "I don't have to practice as often anymore so maybe I'll start cooking again."

Sesshomaru just looked on in silence as the girl put together the meal. She sure didn't act like it had been a while since she last cooked; she handled all the dishes with a certain grace and carefulness that one only acquired through much practice.

They sat and ate in the kitchen. They talked during their meal, ok Kagome talked during their meal, Sesshomaru just mostly listened. Kagome had been right, the sauce was pretty good. After they ate it was very late.

Kagome stretched and yawned. "I guess we should get some sleep, huh?" she asked sleepily. Sesshomaru nodded his head and took the dishes and put them in the sink. He finished washing them off and they both headed to their rooms. Kagome bid farewell to Sesshomaru at his door and went off to her room.

Kagome closed the door and went over and plopped down on her bed with a sigh. She looked over at the little table next to her bed and saw the book about the Shikon No Tama sitting on top. That was odd; she could have sworn she had put that on the bottom so no one would see it. She picked it up and looked through it again.

It didn't say much really. Just how it had been created by a priestess name Midoriko (AN: did I spell that right?) during a battle between her and a bunch of youkai and how their souls still remained inside fighting that same battle to this day. It also had a list of names of the people who have held it. She thought it had some sort of magic over it considering her name was now in the book as the current possessor or perhaps her father had added before he left. It told of all the horrible things demons and people alike had done with the jewel.

The only part she really had wanted to know though was what was so special about the jewel and she had gotten her answer. The Shikon No Tama granted a person any wish their heart desired. Through out the whole book Kagome couldn't find one person who had done something good with the jewel. In the legend of the jewel it said that only a selfless wish would help Midoriko over come the demons and stop the warring souls within the jewel and then it would disappear, forever.

Kagome's father said she was to protect it, but maybe if she could think of a selfless wish, something that would help people, she could just get rid of it. She had been trying to think of something, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded.

"Thoughts for another night," she said to herself and crawled under the blankets on her bed and drifted off to sleep.

--

Sesshomaru looked around the room a bit. He didn't have much time the night before. Well, that and the fact he couldn't believe that it was his room. Along with the dresser and the bed that he had noticed earlier there was also two other doors in the room. Opening the first one he discovered that it was a closet. All the new clothes that Kagome had bought for him that day had already been put in it.

Sesshomaru looked down at his ragged cloths. They had originally been white but you wouldn't be able to tell that anymore. He looked through all the clothes and found that he had quite a few white outfits. He liked to wear white so this was a good thing, perhaps he would wear some of the other colored outfits as well but for now white it was.

He took the clothes out and laid them on his bed and went over to the other door, hoping it was what he thought it was. It was a rather large bathroom, just what Sesshomaru needed. He hadn't had a decent bath in what seemed like forever. He took his time cleaning himself, just relaxing in the hot water. It would appear that Kagome had it stocked with many different soaps and other cleansers and Sesshomaru took full advantage of them.

It was a good thing Sesshomaru didn't need much sleep because by the time he got out of the bath he wouldn't be getting much of it. He got out and changed into the new clothes. It was almost like he wasn't a slave anymore, almost like he was home again.

'Home . . .' he let the thought trail off as he climbed into bed. He didn't want to think about home, he had convinced himself along time ago that he would never see it again. Now he wasn't so sure though. Kagome seemed adamant about freeing him, so maybe he would see home again. And with that last pleasant thought in mind he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

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InuyashaForever1989: Yay! A new chapter at last. I will try to update faster I promise. Hopefully it won't be so long until my next update. Ja ne.


	6. Can't Stop Thinking of You

InuyashaForever1989: Tada, one new chapter, fresh from yours truly. Hope you all enjoy it. A big thank you to all of you who reviewed.

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Chapter 6: Can't stop thinking of you

'Home . . .' he let the thought trail off as he climbed into bed. He didn't want to think about home, he had convinced himself a long time ago that he would never see it again. Now he wasn't so sure though. Kagome seemed adamant about freeing him, so maybe he would see home again. And with that last pleasant thought in mind he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Kagome woke up early that morning and started to really look through all the books she had brought up from her father's study. The ones on youkai slaves weren't very helpful; they mostly focused on tasks they should be given or how to punish them. Some of it Kagome couldn't even read because the things people wrote just pissed her off that much, one book she had actually thrown across the room.

One book though, explained the spell that enslaved youkai and Kagome marked the page and saved the book, just incase, thinking that maybe she could make a counter spell. She would have to go see her friend sometime today about that. Finally she came to the book about the Shikon No Tama again. How her father had come into the possession of the jewel she had no idea.

Looking through it once more she came across a part she had missed while skipping through a particularly boring part. The book also gave the jewel another name, the jewel of four souls. The miko, Midoriko, had combined the four spirits of love - sagimitama, friendship - nigimitama, wisdom - kshimitama, and bravery - aramitama (A/N: please tell me if that's wrong, I'm not entirely sure) within her to help create the jewel. Kagome found this woman amazing and wanted to know more about her, but that and the legend was all the book had said about her.

She set the book down and decided that she would look through the library and see if she could find any books on Midoriko. She got up from her bed and walked over to the door. When she opened it Sesshomaru was standing on the other side of the door poised to knock. He looked slightly surprised but quickly regained his composure.

"You're up early," he stated.

Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. "And just how do you know what's early for me?" she asked, trying to sound serious, but she just couldn't hold back the smile she had on.

"Yesterday, you woke up much later," he said, with the same mono-toned voice.

Kagome was ecstatic. They were actually having a relatively normal conversation.

"I see. Well they do say first impressions are important," Kagome said as she started down the hall.

"They?" Sesshomaru asked, "And who exactly are they?"

Kagome stopped and turned around, only to find Sesshomaru had been following her and a bit closely at that. "You know . . ." she paused for a moment and looked as if she were thinking. "I really don't know," she stated finally and with that she walked off again. She still had about an hour or so until breakfast was served so she set course for the library.

After a minute or so Sesshomaru spoke up again. "You do realize you never changed out of your night clothes, don't you?" he asked knowing she probably didn't.

Kagome looked down at her attire and simply shrugged her shoulders. "I'll change before breakfast," was her reply and she kept going. While she was walking a thought popped into her head. "If you thought this time was early for me to be up, why were you about to knock on my door?"

"I could sense you were awake through the bond," Sesshomaru replied.

"You can sense stuff like that?" Kagome asked, giving a little glance back as she did.

"Yes, that and there was a very loud thud against the wall on your side that woke me up this morning. What exactly was that anyway?" Sesshomaru asked, sounding almost curious.

"Oh, um, that was a book you see." Kagome's cheeks flushed and she was glad that Sesshomaru couldn't see her face at the moment.

"And what did the book do to deserve such treatment?" Sesshomaru asked again, only this time he sounded more teasing than anything else.

"It went into great detail about how to punish your youkai slave and it pisses me off how people can have such a blatant disregard and absolutely no respect for someone's life," Kagome explain, leaving Sesshomaru speechless. Something about when Kagome spoke like that made him feel warmth inside, like there was still hope in this world as long as a few people thought like Kagome, although he was pretty sure no one else thought like Kagome did.

There was a particular warming in his heart that he didn't want to examine so he pushed it aside telling himself any feelings he may feel around the girl were merely the influence of the bond. 'She would never mate with me anyway,' the thought came out of no where and he had the urge to physically slap himself. This was the first time he'd ever experienced the full power of the bond but did it really have such an effect on his mind.

Sesshomaru tried to shake the thought that now plagued him. Would she mate with him? She didn't seem to have a problem with youkai, after all she had adopted one, and she hadn't shunned his brother for being a hanyou. Why would he want to mate with her? For centuries now he believed ningen to be the scum of the earth, but just glancing at Kagome now his mind immediately told him she was different.

Could it be it wasn't the spell and she had just broken through to him, even if it had only been just a couple sort days? After all, he didn't believe that wondering if your mistress would mate with you was a usual side effect of the bond. He had seen normal youkai slaves, who did not block their bonds and they didn't seem love sick over their masters.

Sesshomaru was shocked out of his train of thought when he almost ran into Kagome. She had stopped at the doors that led to the large library that they had been to yesterday. Sesshomaru stared at the back of Kagome's head and became fascinated by the swirling black mess that was her bed-head. He found himself wanting to stroke the stands and untangle then with his fingers. He shook the thought and pushed all the things he had been thinking about to the back of his mind, where despite his best efforts he could still hear them whispering.

Kagome turned around again and this time he was very close to her, which surprised her and she took a step back only to meet with the door. She put a hand to her heart and said, "You scared me there." She put on a small smile as she turned the door knob and walked backwards into the room. "I'm looking for a book, a couple books, I'm not really sure, on the miko Midoriko."

"Uh huh," Sesshomaru nodded his head not really paying attention. That one thought had acted like a floodgate and now he couldn't stop thinking about Kagome, things like how cute she looked walking around in her crumpled night clothes; she wore blue night pants and matching shirt that seemed a little too big for her. Kagome had gone off in search of her books, leaving Sesshomaru to his thoughts which he kind of wished she had not done. By the end of there little trip Sesshomaru's mind had officially fallen into the gutter and he couldn't seem to get himself out.

The only thing that seemed to calm his thoughts the slightest was when he admitted to himself that he did feel for Kagome. Exactly what it was he wasn't sure; love, lust, or perhaps some other emotion he wasn't familiar with, but there was something there and it was of his mind's own design. The problem then became how to deal with it.

Looking up at the petite girl, Kagome again had a few books, actually more than a few she had quite a stack that she couldn't even see over. Sesshomaru took a few of the books all that Kagome would allow him to carry and they took them to her room and she asked him to wait outside while she went in and changed and she took all the books with her.

It took all his restraint not to follow after her, after all it had been a request not an order. She reemerged about ten minutes later in a pale blue kimono that had a shimmering pattern that streaked across it. It was beautiful on her and accented her pale skin nicely.

When she turned to close the door Sesshomaru shook his head, hoping to relieve himself of all his crazy thoughts. Suffice it to say it didn't work very well. Kagome led the way down to the dinning room where the rest of her family was waiting for them.

"Kagome, where have you been?" her mother asked. "I told you that you had to come down for breakfast today."

Kagome vaguely remembered being told something like that. "Yes, I know and so I'm here. I'm just a little late because I was in the library looking for some books," Kagome said as she sat down and started to eat her food. Just then Souta and Shippo finished their breakfast and dashed off to do who knows what. "You two behave today, got it!" Kagome called after them.

Just outside the door Shippo stopped and peeked his head back in and said, "Yes mama," and ran off. Kagome sighed and shook her head and went back to her meal.

Just then Kagome's mother had finished and she to got up to leave. She walked over to Kagome and kissed the top of her head. "Try not to be late next time," she said as she exited the room.

Kagome looked over to Sesshomaru. "My dad's not here to often so my mom likes to have everyone else together as much as possible, which usually means meals," Kagome explained.

"What does your father do that he's away so often?" Sesshomaru asked. This was the first he had ever heard of Kagome's father, or that she even had one.

"Oh, yes, I never mentioned him, did I? He's one of the eight ningen leaders, from right her in the east," Kagome explained.

"So that would make your last name Higurashi wouldn't it?" Sesshomaru questioned. Even with all his years in slavery he had kept up his knowledge in the field of politics.

"Yes, he's a great man and he's even been pushing to ban slavery here in the east," Kagome explained.

"I would imagine he's not doing to well with that campaign," Sesshomaru voiced.

"Actually, you're right, but he's not giving up. That's the important part," Kagome said. Sesshomaru just simply nodded. "Oh, I need to go visit a friend of mine today. I need his help with something," She informed him. He nodded his head again and finished his breakfast.

He didn't really need to eat and it had been a long time since he had gotten meals regularly. He really only needed to eat about once a month to keep his strength up, but he wasn't about to be rude and waste all the food. He still didn't eat much but he ate something.

Kagome on the other hand ate quite a bit for someone so small. She was thin and petite, but she ate like someone who had been starved for a couple days. When she finally finished they went back up to her room and Kagome grabbed a book that had a book mark in it and they set out to see this friend of Kagome's.

As soon as they were outside Sesshomaru noticed a strange scent that seemed to be lurking all around the house. It was the same scent that he had noticed the other night when Kagome had that nightmare. He looked around carefully but he didn't see anyone. Someone had been watching the house and Sesshomaru didn't think that they had any good intentions.

"Sesshomaru, let's go!" Kagome called from quite a distance a head of him and he quickly caught up to her. He looked back once more; he would have to be more alert from now on. He couldn't let anything happen to Kagome.

They walked quite a bit, all the way across the town to be exact, to get to this friend's house. They would have been there sooner if Kagome hadn't stopped to look at some of the shops on the way.

They finally stopped at one house with a sign out front that read 'Houshi.' The house was two floors. The first floor looked rather like an office; it had a waiting room and a conference room, probably where the houshi talked to people and gave advice and such. There was also a large storage room were supplies were kept for charms and spells. The second floor was a living space. While they were walking up the stairs there was a loud yell of 'hentai' and a resounding slap that echoed down the stairwell.

As they reached the top of the stairs Kagome opened the door and they were greeted with the sight and very angry Sango and a man with a red hand print who seemed to be trying to apologize to her. Sesshomaru looked upon the scene with no real interest until he noticed that the man was wearing houshi robes.

"Still up to your old ticks I see Miroku," Kagome commented to the houshi and the man just laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Come on Sango, I'm sorry, ok?" he said, turning his attention back to the clearly pissed off woman.

"You know Miroku you really shouldn't piss off a taijiya (A/N: tell me if that's spelled wrong please.) it could be bad for your health," Kagome teased.

"A taijiya?" Sesshomaru asked quite surprised.

"Oh, yeah, Sango's whole family is in the business, but they aren't like others who think they can go around slaying any youkai they chose," Kagome assured him. "They get jobs from both ningen and even youkai themselves to hunt down rabid youkai that have gone on killing sprees." Sesshomaru nodded his head, but all the same eyed the young taijiya girl.

"Did you need something, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

Kagome nodded her head. "Yes, I needed to ask you a favor. I was wondering if you could help me with something," Kagome said and she pulled out the book with the bookmark that she had put in a small bag that hung at her side from around her shoulder.

"Of course, come with me," Miroku said and he led them back down stairs. Sesshomaru sat out in the waiting room with Sango which was a little more than uncomfortable, for him anyway. Kagome and Miroku went into the other room to discuss whatever it was Kagome wanted to talk about

"What can I help you with?" Miroku asked as they took a seat.

Kagome put the book on the table and opened it to the page with the bookmark. "I was wondering if it was possible to make a counter spell for this." Kagome had never been very good with spells. She could use her holy powers and she definitely knew a thing or two about herbs and healing, but if you asked her about a spell then she was done for.

Miroku's eyes widened. "This is for him?" Miroku asked nodding his head toward the door that led to the waiting room.

"Yeah, I'm trying to find a way to set him free. Do you think you can do it?" Kagome replied.

"I might," was all he said.

"I see, if you figure something out let me know," Kagome said as she stood up.

"I most certainly will, Kagome," Miroku replied as he too stood up and followed her out of the room leaving the book on the table. As they entered the waiting room Sesshomaru's eyes leaped off the floor to Kagome's face and Kagome thought he would have looked relieved if he ever let his guard down.

Kagome walked by toward the door and Sesshomaru stood up to follow when he was stopped by the houshi. "You know you're lucky," he said gesturing toward Kagome. Sesshomaru looked at the dark haired man and simply nodded before leaving.

He trailed after Kagome who apparently didn't really feel like going home at the moment as she wondered around the town just looking at different stands and shops. She looked around for hours and never bought anything except for lunch. Sesshomaru found it odd how she could do that, but just brushed it off as a woman thing, or perhaps a Kagome thing. Anyway, he just spent the time watching her; the way she moved, the way her hair would blow around her in the wind, and the way she would light up when she found something interesting.

No one seemed to notice his attraction except for a few other youkai slaves who hadn't said anything; they just gave him strange looks and moved on. When they finally returned, Sesshomaru used all his senses to make sure everything was safe. The scent had dissipated and he found no traces that anyone had been lurking around recently. He wondered if he should tell Kagome, but decided against it. He was confident he could protect her if anything were to happen.

Walking into the three story house Sesshomaru noticed for the first time just how big it was. To have so many rooms with the size that some of them were it would have to be very large he supposed. He wondered just how many rooms were in the house, which led to how big was the estate was and he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Kagome stop and turn around until he crashed into her.

Both of them were knocked to the ground and while Sesshomaru was trying to figure out what had just happened he realized that he had landed right on top of Kagome. Kagome blushed and looked up at him shyly waiting for him to move off of her, but he didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Sesshomaru stared down at her almost transfixed and the thought of getting up never enter his head although a few other thoughts did. _What are you doing?_ he screamed at himself in his head but it didn't seem to do any good and then . . . . . . .

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InuyashaForever1989: Oh god, am I evil or what? Sorry but that's all you get this time 'round. Please review! Also I fixed up the other chapters a little so they don't have any errors, or at least as many. Ja ne.


	7. Do you?

InuyashaForever1989: Hey readers, I'm here, with an all new chapter. Read and enjoy!!

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Chapter 7: Do you?

Sesshomaru was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Kagome stop and turn around until he crashed into her.

Both of them were knocked to the ground and while Sesshomaru was trying to figure out what had just happened he realized that he had landed right on top of Kagome. Kagome blushed and looked up at him shyly waiting for him to move off of her, but he didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Sesshomaru stared down at her almost transfixed and the thought of getting up never enter his head although a few other thoughts did. _What are you doing?_ he screamed at himself in his head but it didn't seem to do any good and then his hand, as if of its own accord, came up to cup her cheek. Her skin was so soft he discovered and he began to run his thumb across her cheek. He slowly moved his hand down until it ran across her lips.

Sesshomaru stared at her lips for a moment before he leaned forward just a bit, just enough so that his lips touched hers. It was a soft kiss, the lightest of touches and just when Sesshomaru had the sense of mind to deepen the kiss he heard something.

When he looked up he saw the young kit just a few feet away. "What are you doing to my mama?" Shippo asked all too innocently.

Sesshomaru almost immediately felt a push at his chest and he got up as Kagome pushed him off of her. "We're not doing anything sweetheart, we just f-fell is all," Kagome explained to the little boy.

Shippo gave her a doubtful look and then a mischievous grin crossed his face. "You were kissing," he stated teasingly. "Mama was kissing, mama was kissing," he sang out as he ran down the hall with Kagome chasing after him.

"Shippo, stop that right now," she yelled down the hall. Sesshomaru on the other hand didn't move. One side of him was cursing the brat for interrupting the other was thanking him because if he hadn't Sesshomaru wasn't quite sure what he would have done and still another part wished the kid had shown up sooner, but all of him seemed to be screaming, 'What were you thinking?'

He had kissed her; he had kissed his mistress without permission or an order and it only registered as bad. What was Kagome going to think of him now? He had practically tackled her to the ground and molested her. Ok, so he had never been in love before, did that mean he had to lose all control and screw up like this. He was supposed to be disciplined, he had hundreds of years of discipline, but around her it all flew out the window and he acted like some pup going through his first heat.

Sesshomaru didn't know what to do now, but he certainly didn't want to face Kagome at the moment. He finally decided to go up to his room and lock himself up to stew in his thoughts.

(With Kagome)

Kagome had finally caught up to Shippo and believe her it wasn't an easy thing to do. She was currently sitting on the bottom step of a flight of stairs and holding a struggling Shippo in her arms. "Now Shippo," she finally spoke up and gained the kit's attention, "you can't tell anyone what you just saw, ok?"

"But why not? Grandma keeps wondering when you're going to find 'a nice young man to settle down with and give her more grandchildren'" Shippo repeated the words he had heard Kagome's mother use.

"She said what? In front of you?" Kagome asked. She was a little alarmed that her mother would say such things while the little boy was listening. Kagome shook her head. "Besides it wasn't like that, we just f-fell and it w-was an a-accident." Kagome blushed remembering how it had most certainly not been an accident. Well, the falling was but the kiss wasn't.

"You're lying," Shippo stated plainly.

"What do you mean I'm lying?" Kagome asked defensively.

"You always stutter when you're lying, mama," he pointed out. Kagome sighed and looked down at the carpet that covered the stairs.

"To be perfectly honest, I don't know what that was all about," Kagome said and then sighed again.

"Well, did you like it?" Shippo asked with wide curious eyes. Kagome looked at the kit in surprise. Had she like it? She hadn't really thought about it although in her defense she was shocked and frazzled at the moment. Well, she supposed it hadn't been bad.

It had been a very gentle kiss, and his lips had been so soft, and he had had this nice clean scent to him that she could smell because he'd gotten so close and the way his beautiful silver hair had cascaded down as if to hide them from prying eyes, oh, and those wonderfully golden eyes. Kagome sighed like a love sick teenager just staring into the empty space before her.

"I think I'll take that as a yes," Shippo said interrupting Kagome's train of thought.

"What? No, now Shippo, you are not to tell grandma about this got it? She'd never let me live this down and as long as Sesshomaru's here I'd never get any peace," Kagome told him. Shippo simply nodded his head and finally wriggled out of Kagome's arms.

"I promise I won't tell grandma," Shippo said as he ran up the stairs. Kagome watched him go and then he ran into his room. Kagome sighed again and then went back down the hall. What was she going to do now? How was she going to face Sesshomaru again? Did he really mean that or was it some weird demon thing like heat or something like that? Kagome shook her head and decided to take a walk out to the garden to clear her head.

(Meanwhile Shippo had slipped out of his room and into Souta's.)

"Hey haven't you heard of knocking?" Souta yelled as he finished putting on a new shirt, he had gotten the old one dirty.

"Shhh," Shippo said putting a finger to his lips. "I've got something to tell you."

"Well, what is it?"

"Mama likes that guy," Shippo blurted out.

"What?! You mean Kagome likes that inu youkai guy?!" Souta shouted out.

"Shhhh, be quiet. Mama really didn't want me telling anyone but she only made me promise not to tell grandma," Shippo told the other boy.

Souta gave an almost evil grin. "Yeah, mom would drive her nuts if she found out."

"Yeah, that's what mama said."

"But how do you know she likes him?" Souta asked making sure the younger boy wasn't imagining things.

"I saw them kissing," Shippo practically whispered as if saying it any louder would allow Kagome to hear him.

"Ewwwww," Souta said twisting his face so that he looked as if he would be ill. "That's gross, but I guess that's proof."

"Yeah and I've got an idea," Shippo explained.

"What do you mean an idea?" Souta asked curiously.

"Well, she wouldn't admit that she liked him, I don't think mama even realizes it, but the look on her face when I asked her it's obvious," Shippo said and threw his arms up for dramatic effect. Souta gave Shippo an 'oh' sort of look and then he looked thoughtful for a second.

"So, what's the plan?"

(Back with Kagome)

Now while clearing her head, Kagome decided that she did like Sesshomaru quite a bit. He was the strong silent type and Kagome found she like it a lot. He thought carefully before he spoke and he seemed rather nice when he wasn't being so defensive. That and he had had that remarkable calming affect on her the other night when she'd had that nightmare.

Oh, and he had that awesome furry tail, she could definitely picture cuddling up to that every night. Kagome shook her head with a blush, what was she thinking about? Ok, ok, so she liked Sesshomaru a lot, maybe, dare she say it, even loved him now that she thought about it. Now the question became, did he love her as well?"

Kagome was currently sitting on a chair and had a pile of petal less flowers next to her. Kagome picked another flower. "He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not . . ." and so on and so on until she ended on 'he loves me.'

It had been the way all of them had ended actually and she was starting to wonder if these flowers were rigged or something. 'I mean they can't all end the same way. One of them has to have an even number of petals,' she thought as she picked another flower and started over. Once again it ended the same way.

Kagome picked another flower and then an idea popped into her head. This time she started on 'he loves me not.' She finally got to the last petal and she just held it up and stared at it. "He loves me," she mumbled. Of course the one flower she picked with an even number of petals and she decides to switch the order of the words. Maybe it was a sign, maybe Sesshomaru did love her, or maybe kami was playing some cruel joke on her.

Kagome looked around her; she was running out of flowers in her immediate vicinity. Kagome let out yet another sigh, something she'd been doing a lot of in the past half hour that she'd been in the garden.

Finally standing up, Kagome walked back toward the house when she sensed a strange presence. She whirled around, but she didn't see anyone and the strange aura she had felt was gone like it had never been there in the first place. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and turned back to go into the house.

Little did she know that a glowing pair of red eyes was watching her as she went in.

(With Sesshomaru)

Sesshomaru was currently lying face down on his bed with his head buried in his pillow. He was absolutely mortified with his actions and just himself at the moment. Suddenly there was a knock on his door. The person didn't just knock once or twice or even just three times, it was a rapid repetitive knock that did stop until Sesshomaru had finally opened the door.

When he did he found it to be the boy and the kit who had been knocking so incessantly. "Yes?" he asked, slightly confused. He hadn't had much interaction with the boys so he wasn't really sure what to expect from the two.

"We need to ask you some questions," Souta said. Shippo nodded his head to emphasize their point.

"About what?" Sesshomaru was almost afraid to ask.

"About you and my mama," Shippo told him. Sesshomaru almost went pale. He already felt ashamed for his actions now he had to pint sized brats who wanted to reopen the wound.

Sesshomaru stepped back from the door to allow them to enter. The boys walked into the room and stood near the bed. "What do you think of my sister?" Souta asked, getting right to the point.

Sesshomaru looked surprised at the question, that and the 'mama' switched to 'sister' thing was going to drive him nuts, he could tell right now. "Kagome is a very nice girl," Sesshomaru answered vaguely.

"Yeah, but do you like her, you know like-like her?" Shippo asked looking up at the tall inu youkai.

"I suppose you could say that."

"So you do like her," Souta stated as if he'd made an awesome discovery. "Well, then we just thought you should know something about Kagome."

Sesshomaru simply raised an eyebrow at the boy and waited for him to continue. "I don't know Souta, mama would get awfully mad if we told him," Shippo put in.

So that was their game, they were going to torture him by with holding the information. Well Sesshomaru wasn't going to play that game. "You can either tell me or get out right now," Sesshomaru told them.

"Ok, ok, calm down. We'll tell you. You see, Kagome likes you too," Souta explained.

Sesshomaru just looked dumbfounded for a moment. Could she really? Were these kids mistaken or were they telling the truth? How could he find out without making a complete ass out of himself in front of Kagome?

"It's true," Shippo added on. "I asked her. She didn't answer or anything but she got this dreamy look on her face."

Sesshomaru thought for a moment until he heard the light sound of foot steps coming up the stairs. "Kagome," he practically whispered out the name. Souta and Shippo looked at each other in alarm. Shippo hadn't been kidding when he had said that Kagome would be upset with them for telling him. Both boys suddenly bolted for the door and down the hallway and out of sight.

After a minute or so of listening to her footfalls Sesshomaru watched as Kagome passed his open door. She stopped and turned to find him staring at her quite intently. He took a step towards her and she felt frozen, like she couldn't move (A/N: think deer caught in the headlights.)

Sesshomaru didn't know what he was doing; it was like he couldn't control his own body. When he got close he lifted his hand and pushed a stray hair from her face and locked her gaze to his with a heated stare. "Tell me it's true," the words slipped unbidden past his lips. He didn't know what he was saying; all he knew was that he needed what the boys had said to be true.

"What's true?" Kagome asked, trying to keep herself from sounding to breathless.

"Do you . . ." he hesitated for a moment. What the hell was he thinking; he couldn't just ask her if she loved him. "Do you love me?" Damn, he was such an idiot. What was wrong with him today? He just didn't seem to be able to control himself around her and it scared him a little.

Kagome looked surprised, a wide eyed, almost terrified kind of surprised. "Well," she started then paused to think about her answer. "That depends."

"Depends on what?" he asked, and even to his own ears the question had sounded just a tad desperate. Sesshomaru didn't care though. She could have asked anything of him, he would do anything or give her anything just to hear her say 'yes.'

"Do you love me?"

Sesshomaru completely threw away his mask of ice, his eyes went wide and the strange emotion that had been bubbling just below his surface all day burst forth and warmed his eyes and drew a smile across his face. He hugged Kagome tightly and whispered softly in her ear, "Yes, very much."

Kagome choked back a sob and seemed almost near tears. Sesshomaru would have been worried had it not been for the amazing smile on her face and the warm happy feeling that radiated through the bond. "I, I do too," Kagome said, and even though Sesshomaru already knew without her words it was still wonderful to hear.

Sesshomaru wiped at her face to clear it of the happy tears and brown met gold in a long emotional stare. Sesshomaru leaned in closer, their lips connecting and eyes closing, enjoying the contact.

The next few hours were spent alternating between talking and hot and heavy kissing. Both of them got their feelings out there, explaining exactly how they felt about each other.

And They Both Lived Happily Ever After!!

Just kidding :-P

That night when Kagome went to bed she sensed the same strange aura that she had sensed that afternoon. She went over to her open window and looked outside. It was dark, not even the moon was shinning through the stormy clouds tonight and it was a full moon. She looked around trying to see something, anything outside. She came upon a pair of red glowing eyes that were watching her in the distance.

Kagome watched the eyes as they started to get closer. She suddenly became very afraid and she slammed the window shut and backed away from it. As the eyes got closer a dark figure started to form around the eyes and it scared Kagome so much she screamed at the top of her lungs.

A moment later she heard what sounded like Sesshomaru shout her name from behind the door as he pounded on it. What a night for her to have locked her door. Her eyes flew to the door and the red-eyed figure followed her gaze from right outside her window. Kagome darted for the door, there was the smashing sound of glass and Kagome screamed again as she was carried off out the window.

Sesshomaru banged harder on the door all but knocking it off its hinges as he knocked it in. He looked wildly around the room, searching and yet he didn't find what he was looking for. Kagome was gone.

Sesshomaru vaguely heard footsteps racing down the hall. Apparently the noise had woken up Kagome's family as well. "What happened in here?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she looked around the room her eyes landing on the broken glass and then darted to the frantic inu youkai. Souta and Shippo were standing behind her wondering just about the same thing.

"I'm not sure," Sesshomaru said in a strained voice, but someone is going to pay. Sesshomaru's eyes began to bleed red and the others all backed up not wanted to attract his attention at the moment. He sniffed the air and caught the scent he had smelled before lurking around the house.

In raged, Sesshomaru turned towards the window intent on following the scent and getting back his Kagome when suddenly a sharp pain ran through his body. The pain was so great that it brought him to his knees and his eyes flashed between red and gold. His body throbbed again and he let out a roar that tore through the night before he fell to the floor completely.

Mrs. Higurashi went to him cautiously. Very carefully she propped his head up in her lap. She felt his forehead, he felt slightly warm and he was sweating. "I want to help you, but I don't know how," Mrs. Higurashi explained slowly, hoping that he could understand.

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed back to gold again and he looked up at the middle aged woman. Help, she couldn't help. "The spell," he said through clenched teeth.

"Spell? What spell, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi coaxed him.

"The one that--" he was cut off as a hiss of pain passed his lips, "binds me to Kagome. At night I can't be to far-- ah-- from her," he explained stopping once as the pain racked his body once more.

"Is there anyway I can stop it?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, looking desperate to help the inu youkai.

"No," the word hissed out as the pain hit again. Hours later the pain was no longer throbbing through his body rather it was now constant. Mrs. Higurashi had awoken some servants and they had, reluctantly but none the less, moved Sesshomaru to the bed and while they took care of the inu youkai Mrs. Higurashi hurried off somewhere.

Now she had returned with someone. Sesshomaru could barely recognize the houshi through the haze of pain that clouded his head. "Please, Miroku, is there anything you can do to help him?" Mrs. Higurashi pleaded with the houshi.

Miroku stepped up to the bedside and held his staff out over Sesshomaru. He spoke some words that Sesshomaru couldn't follow and the pain in his body increased. It finally became so bad that with a last scream he finally passed out.

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InuyashaForever1989: Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion of 'Bound By Magic' Well, it might be the conclusion, I'm not quite sure but that's what I'm hoping for next chapter but for now I'm afraid that's all. Ja ne.


	8. Freedom

InuyahsaForever1989: Hey readers, yes, it's another chapter from yours truly. I am proud to introduce the last chapter and it's extra long cause I wanted to finish it (17 and a half pages typed) There's also a little lime in there too for all you pervs out there, you know who you are, (and I'm right there with you ;-) )

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Chapter 8: Freedom

Miroku stepped up to the bedside and held his staff out over Sesshomaru. He spoke some words that Sesshomaru couldn't follow and the pain in his body increased. It finally became so bad that with one last scream he finally passed out.

c--c

A light shined so bright that Sesshomaru had to squint even before he opened his eyes. His entire body was sore and stiff and he had a massive headache. He also couldn't quiet recall where he was at the moment. Finally, when he was able to open his eyes he realized he was in Kagome's room and before he had a chance to wonder what in the world he was doing there the events of the night before suddenly rushed back to him and he felt a rush of panic as his eyes scanned the room and Kagome was no where to be found.

He reached out to try and find her through the bond, he would have to find her before night fell again or at least get close so that the pain wouldn't overcome him again. Suddenly he realized something, there was no bond, he couldn't feel the invisible stands of magic that used to bind him to Kagome. Sesshomaru felt a sharp pain in his chest and a more intense sense of panic choked him. The bond was gone which could only mean that Kagome was dead.

"Relax," he heard someone tell him from off to the side. "It's not what you're thinking, I promise."

Sesshomaru turned his head and found the houshi, who he hadn't noticed at all when he had been looking around the room before, sitting on a chair apparently waiting for him to wake up. "The slave bond is gone, I'm free, but the only way that could be is if she's dead," Sesshomaru rambled the words to tell himself as much as Miroku. Sesshomaru clenched his eyes shut not wanting it to be true, but he could find no other way to explain the situation.

"Look, Kagome asked something of me yesterday. She asked if I could make a counter spell for the youkai slave bond. She had found the spell in a book and brought it to me. I thought it would be very difficult or perhaps even impossible to do, but as luck would have it, it was quite simple actually. It turned out to be a simple obedience spell and not very hard to undo," Miroku explained. "Last night, Mrs. Higurashi informed me of your situation and so I thought what better time to sever the bond then when it needed so much to be broken. The only draw back was that when the spell was broken it caused you an even more intense pain and you passed out, in fact you've been asleep for a while now actually, it's almost noon."

"So, she could still be alive," Sesshomaru said almost to himself, half mumbled and with a slight hint of hope. Kagome was still out there somewhere he just knew it, but where was now the question? He had to find her and he had to find her as soon as possible.

Suddenly Sesshomaru snapped out of his thoughts. "Noon?" he almost shouted. Sesshomaru got up from the bed and to his feet; he wavered for a moment before he made himself stable. He was not going to lose her, he couldn't, and he wouldn't, but if he wanted any chance of finding her he would have to get going so that the scent would not fade away. Sesshomaru took a step forward towards the shattered window. He felt a little wobbly but he wasn't going to stop now.

"Where do you think you're going?" Miroku asked even though he knew exactly where the inu youkai was heading. "You're in no condition to go after whatever took Kagome."

"Try and stop me," Sesshomaru stated, the words a flat out challenge, one that Miroku new he wouldn't be able to meet. No one was going to get in Sesshomaru's way not even this houshi. He could even feel his usually suppressed beast stirring within his mind raging for the blood of whomever or whatever had stolen its mate.

Miroku walked around the bed and stood in front of Sesshomaru and looked him up and down. He was quiet for a few moments and Sesshomaru seriously considered tearing through the houshi. "You love her," he stated flatly at last, definitely not asking, just saying it like he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt. Sesshomaru began to wonder how transparent he was becoming.

"You're so intent on going after her even though you're free now and could just leave without ever looking back and you're not in the best of conditions to be going anywhere at the moment. Yet, the only thought that enters you mind is finding her." Miroku let out a sigh and put a hand to his head. "Get out of here," he said as he stepped aside and waved a hand indicating the window.

Sesshomaru didn't waste any time. He bolted for the window following the faint scent that just barely still hung in the air. It wasn't easy either, not only was the scent growing rather old, but the owner of the scent, who he had determined to be a hanyou, had also tried to cover his tracks.

The key word though was tried. Sesshomaru moved as fast as he could, sometime having to double back because he had lost the scent, and by the time he found what he was looking for night had fallen already. The place he had arrived at was a dark mansion and looked partially ruined, like no one had live in it for quite sometime, but Sesshomaru knew different. He could smell the hanyou and under that vile smell was the light, beautiful scent of his Kagome.

Sesshomaru circled the mansion. There didn't seem to be anyone guarding any of the entrances and he couldn't see anyone through any of the windows. Even so he decided to go in through the back door just to be safe hoping that if someone was watching the doors that the back would be less suspected.

The door creaked open and led into what looked like it had once been a rather large kitchen. Now, however, it looked more like a storage space for dust and cobwebs. Sesshomaru stepped in cautiously, dust swirled around his feat as he walked and as he went he was constantly scenting the air and watching for any sign of movement in the dark seemingly undisturbed corners of the room. Suddenly a strong wind picked up and created a dust cyclone in the middle of the kitchen. The whirlwind attracted and kicked up all the dust in the kitchen making it look more like a dust storm.

When the dust settled two people stood in the middle where the wind had originated. They obviously weren't ningen. Sesshomaru took in their scents and . . . they both smelled like the hanyou that had taken Kagome. The only difference was that they weren't hanyou they were full youkai and the hanyou he had been tracking was definitely male while these two were both female.

"So, you did come. Naraku thought you might," the tallest one spoke. She had long black hair that she kept up and red eyes and she carried some sort of fan. The other seemed rather strange; she looked like a child with white hair, her eyes were black as coal and they were blank, and she seemed very quiet.

"Who are you and who is this Naraku person?" Sesshomaru asked and he felt his rage start to build in him but he kept himself under control.

"I am Kagura of the wind and this is my sister Kanna of the void, we are reincarnations of Naraku. I trust you've come for the woman he stole," Kagura sneered apparently she didn't think much of ningen or perhaps it was the hanyou she didn't care for and then there was the possibility she didn't like either of them.

"I demand the girl back now," Sesshomaru said, never losing his frozen calm.

"Ah, yes, your mistress," Kagura smirked. "Just leave her, as soon as Naraku's done with her he will kill her and then you'll be free and then," Kagura paused and looked him up and down, "and then maybe I can so you what it's like to be with something as wild as the wind."

Sesshomaru was quickly losing his patients with this woman and apparently he didn't have time to deal with her. "Remove yourselves from my path," he commanded rigidly.

"Awww, you're no fun, all well I suppose it can't be helped," Kagura said with and sigh and an evil smile. She raised her fan and called out 'Dance of Blades' but then she seemed to freeze. She closed her eyes for a moment and then reopened them. "It would seem Naraku would like to see to you personally. This way," Kagura informed the slightly confused inu youkai and turned to walk out the door.

Sesshomaru watched as Kagura walked out the door, then Kanna followed, and then he reluctantly followed as well. The house was as big on the inside as it had been on the outside he discovered as he was led through hallway after twisting hallway. Soon he began to wonder if he was in a mansion or a maze and he soon lost track of where they had gone. When he got Kagome out of this he was going to have one hell of a time finding the way back out of here.

Finally they stopped at one door that had an ominous aura behind it; the aura was black and reeked of evil as it oozed from the room. Sesshomaru could smell the scent of the hanyou in the room beyond and also . . . Kagome. He pushed his way past the two youkai blocking the door. When he hit the door it went flying and then it hit something else on the other side and it shattered to pieces.

"It's not nice to destroy someone's home when you're a guest there," a deep voice said and in the middle of the room stood a man with long black hair that was left down and he had the same glowing red eyes that the woman, introduced as Kagura, had and he was surrounded in a purple miasma to seemed to fill the room. One sniff of the miasma told Sesshomaru that the miasma was poisoned and he began to worry about how much of this stuff Kagome had inhaled.

Sesshomaru ignored the man and scanned the room for Kagome and found her chained to the wall and she seemed to be unconscious but otherwise unhurt from what Sesshomaru could see. "Why have you taken her?" Sesshomaru asked, switching his gaze back to Naraku and leveling the hanyou with an icy glare.

"She had something I needed. Had she just handed it over I might have let her live but now it would seem I have to kill her to get what I want," Naraku explained easily, not putting up any sort of fight for the information. "You see I want the jewel around her neck," He pointed the Shikon No Tama that hung from Kagome's necklace, which was still there to Sesshomaru's relief. Something like that could not fall into the hands of such an obviously deranged hanyou. "Since she won't give it to me of her own free will then I can only take it from her when she's dead."

Sesshomaru watched as the edges of his vision turned red and felt panic flood his senses. "Ah, ah, ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you. She's fine for now, but you wouldn't want that to change any time soon now would you?" Naraku asked and Kagura appeared next to Kagome and put her fan to Kagome's neck. "Perhaps we can work something out. Maybe you can convince the girl to give me the jewel or you and you can give it to me," the hanyou smiled and the smile on his face was evil and overconfident. He obviously didn't know who he was dealing with and didn't view Sesshomaru as any real threat to himself or his plans. His mistake.

"You will return her immediately," Sesshomaru demanded clenching his fists while trying not to lose what little control he still had.

Naraku let his smile slip into a smirk as his gaze moved from Sesshomaru over to Kagome. "I never realized the slave bond could be so strong and to effect such an obviously strong youkai such as yourself in such a way. If you feel you can't fight it and betray her, you can just try to sit patiently a moment and I will rid you of your burden and you will no longer have to worry about these feelings of protection."

"I believe I told you to return her," Sesshomaru said growing very impatient and he was also getting real sick of hearing the hanyou babble on and on about something in which he knew nothing about. He was also thinking about how they all seemed to think he was still bound to Kagome which he could play to his advantage some how, now if only he could come up with a plan.

"Come now, surely you want your freedom from this weakling ningen," Naraku tried to convince the inu youkai.

A loud growl echoed through the room and even Naraku seemed worried about what Sesshomaru would do next. "You will not refer to her that way!" Sesshomaru yelled, his temper flaring unusually. He really didn't have any control when it came to Kagome or anything about Kagome for that matter.

"I had hoped it wouldn't come to this inu," Naraku said although he didn't look the least bit disappointed. Naraku pulled a few sheets of paper out of his sleeves and waved them around a bit. "Do these look at all familiar?"

Sesshomaru looked carefully at the papers and realized that they were the papers that had once held him in bondage. He just managed to hold back the laugh that threatened to bubble up at the now ridiculous notion of someone threatening him with scraps of paper. Now that the houshi had lifted the spell the papers had no effect on him. He decided to play along for the moment hoping to gain the advantage by being underestimated. Sesshomaru widened his eyes slightly at the papers and he made his body stiffen slightly.

"Yes, you know what these are," Naraku said looking through the pages. "And you know what this is?" he asked pointing to one specific spot on the second page. Sesshomaru had an idea of what he was talking about, the word that was meant to punish him. "I don't want to have to punish you now, but if you give me no choice I will use it."

"You can't, only Kagome can do that," Sesshomaru informed the hanyou.

"Yes and I can fix that problem," Naraku said smugly as he lifted a hand toward Kagome. Kagome's head lifted and her eyes opened but they were dull, almost dead, like she wasn't really awake. "Now Kagome, do we have anything to say to the BAD slave?"

Kagome's unseeing eyes turned to Sesshomaru. The warm, brown depths he had looked into just last night were now cold and shallow. She opened her mouth to say something, but Sesshomaru didn't wait for it and launched himself at Naraku. No words left Kagome's lips but her eyes kept following Sesshomaru around the room.

Naraku moved back away from Sesshomaru just barely dodging the attack. Sesshomaru just continued the attack and slashed again at Naraku. Naraku didn't react fast enough this time, however, and Sesshomaru's claws dug into Naraku's side causing four deep, red furrows to form through the hanyou's clothing. Naraku looked less than pleased as he put his hand to his side and grimaced in pain.

Sesshomaru then heard a sound like a soft groan. He turned to see Kagome and her eyes were regaining their warmth and life gradually. She slowly looked around her and her eyes widened as she came upon Sesshomaru and Naraku.

Naraku noticed Sesshomaru's distraction and launched out a tentacle from his arm. The tentacle dug into Sesshomaru's left shoulder from behind and he grasped the object as he fell to his knees.

"Sesshomaru!!" Kagome called out and she pulled against the chains that bound her to the wall in a vain effort to reach him.

Suddenly a fan was thrust into her face and then lowered down to her neck. Kagome felt it press to her skin and soon discovered that it was in fact very sharp as she felt a drop of blood run down her neck from a cut the fan had made. "Kagome," Sesshomaru hissed out as he struggled to keep the tentacle from going any deeper into his shoulder.

Kagome looked to her side and saw Kagura standing there holding the fan. Kagome heard Sesshomaru cry out and snapped her head back just in time to see him hit the wall on the far side of the room with a dull thud. She was just about to try again to pull on the chains when the fan was pressed to her skin again and Kagura whispered in her ear, "I wouldn't try that if I were you."

Kagome watched helplessly as the tentacle withdrew from Sesshomaru's shoulder and then dove back towards the limp inu's body, this time piercing the front of his right shoulder. Kagome felt tears prick the back of her eyes but she shook her head clear. Crying wouldn't help her right now; she had to be able to think and if she melted into a puddle of tears she wouldn't be able to do that. What was she going to do though?

Kagura leaned in again to whisper into Kagome's ear. "You know it's too bad Naraku is going to tear him to shreds, we could have had some real fun. Certainly like nothing he did with you," the wind sorceress boasted.

Kagura was really pissing Kagome off now Sesshomaru was hers and she wasn't going to take such a comment about him lying down. Kagome could feel her anger rise from the pit of her stomach and it brought with it a great sense of power.

Of course, how could she have forgotten about her miko powers? She'd only been practicing them for about 17 years, ok, maybe about 12 years; she hadn't really started training until she was 5. Kagome took the power that was building up inside her and channeled it through her body and it all came out at once in a flash of purple light that spread all through the surrounding area.

Just before the burst of power, both Naraku and Sesshomaru looked over at the slight woman who was chained to the wall as the overwhelming sense of holy power bubbled up from her. The flash cut through the miasma that had filled the room and when the light had died down Kagura was nowhere to be found and the only thing next to Kagome was a fan and a pile of ash.

For a moment, both Naraku and Sesshomaru stood in shock and surprise; they couldn't believe that this little girl had just incinerated a youkai in less then a second. "Hmmm, she has some pretty strong miko powers, maybe I could find another use for her," Naraku mused as Kagome then proceeded to glare at him.

"Yeah, well you won't get the chance to figure out what that is because you're next," she told the hanyou as she started to build up her power again.

"Don't think that I'll be quite as easy to get rid of as that fool Kagura," Naraku warned the little miko. Kagome ignored the comment and found a focus point on Naraku so her power wouldn't be out of control this time and she wouldn't hurt Sesshomaru who was rather close to the hanyou.

Just as Kagome released her power again, Naraku snapped his fingers and a blur of white flew across the room to come between Naraku and Kagome's blast. The next thing anybody knew was the bright purple light was being drawn into the mirror of the strange girl who called herself Kanna.

Kagome was shock to say the least but she didn't let it stop her. She pushed more power through her body, now focusing on the mirror this time. Kagome could feel her energy draining and fast because while she was pushing energy into the mirror it was also sapping her power as well, draining more than she was planning on giving and keeping her from stopping the flow even if she wanted to. Kagome began to think that what she was doing was pointless until she saw a tiny crack in the mirror. Seeing this glimmer of hope Kagome focus a big blast of energy at the crack and as it surged into the mirror it shattered.

Kanna looked lost without her mirror. She dropped what was left of it onto the floor and then something strange happened. Kanna feinted to the floor, her hair turned brown, and her skin gained a bit of color and Sesshomaru noted that her scent had changed as well. Apparently the girl wasn't Naraku's incarnation at all, but was being controlled by the mirror which more than liking was what had come from Naraku.

Kagome passed out from the great energy loss and once again hung limp from the chains even though Sesshomaru could see the small spheres of energy slowly returning to Kagome from the shattered mirror. Sesshomaru then wasted no time in acting while Naraku was still distracted. He ripped the tentacle out of his shoulder and launched himself at the hanyou. Sesshomaru's hand went straight through Naraku's stomach.

The hanyou stumbled back in surprise and put a hand to the new gaping hole through his body. Then Naraku let a smirk slip across his face he took his hand away and watched as tentacle like things shot from the edges of the wound to weave together, more or less, healing it.

"It's going to take more than that to defeat me, but it's going to take only half of that energy to strike you down and then the little miko will be all mine. I had planned on killing her but there is one more way to get the Shikon No Tama from her," Naraku explained.

"And that would be?" Sesshomaru asked, not really caring for the answer.

"Well, someone with such strong powers would surely bare powerful children. Don't you think so?" Naraku asked the inu. He suddenly had Sesshomaru's full attention with wasn't really a good thing. Sesshomaru ran at Naraku and the hanyou had barely dodged the attack when Sesshomaru jumped at him again. This time to miss the incoming attack Naraku wound up fall onto the floor.

Sesshomaru whirled around and jabbed his hand at the floor where Naraku lay. The hanyou only managed to move enough so that he was hit in his right arm rather than in his chest. Sesshomaru kept Naraku pinned to the ground that way so he couldn't get up and brought his other hand up to Naraku's neck.

In one last effort Naraku raised a bloody hand toward the still unconscious Kagome and once again she lifted her head and her eyes were once more dull and lifeless. Sesshomaru was just about to end it when a word left Kagome's lips. "Warui." (A/N: meaning BAD)

Naraku smirked thinking that he had just gotten the upper hand; he had expected Sesshomaru to writhe on the floor in pain but instead he still loomed above the injured hanyou completely unaffected and an uncharacteristic twisted smirk on his face.

"I believe I forgot to mention that I have already been freed from that accursed spell," and with that Sesshomaru finished it, and using his sharpened claws, severed Naraku's head from his body and then Kagome fell limp again. Sesshomaru left Naraku to lie on the floor and went over to Kagome to make sure that she was unharmed. He looked her over and found that she was relatively unharmed, all except for the small cut on her neck and her wrists were rubbed raw from the chains.

Sesshomaru snapped the chains as if they had been made of plastic and not iron and took Kagome in his arms. He nuzzled her neck and took in her sweet scent and his head started to clear up. Finally he decided it was time to get the hell out of that place.

As he walked through the mansion he found he had been right, it was almost impossible to find a way out. He never found the back door again nor did he find the front door; what he did do was find the stairs to the first floor and then he found a window and smashed it out, leaving that way.

Thankfully he didn't have that much trouble finding his way back to Kagome's house and about halfway back Kagome woke up. "Where are we," she said, snapping her head up to look around.

"It's ok, we're on our way back to your home," Sesshomaru assured the girl and she relaxed in his hold.

"Um, so, what happened?" she asked after she couldn't take the silence anymore.

"All you need to know is that you don't have to worry about him anymore," Sesshomaru told her, not wanting to go into details about the fight.

Kagome suddenly remembered about Sesshomaru's injuries and looked to his shoulder. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked as she put her hands up wanting to help but not wanting to touch the wound, afraid that she might hurt him more.

"I will be fine," was all he said.

"I can walk if you'd like. It must aggravate the wounds to be holding all my weight," she offered, but Sesshomaru just shook his head.

"No, I'm fine, besides you're too weak to walk," Sesshomaru explained. The rest of the trip was spent in an uncomfortable silence, well uncomfortable for Kagome anyway. Sesshomaru used the time to think some things over. Now that he was free there were a few things he needed to take care of.

When they finally made it back everyone fawned over Kagome making sure she was all right and such. She insisted that she was fine and just needed some rest and so she was off to her room. Before she went to bed however she instructed someone to take care of Sesshomaru's wounds first. Sesshomaru allowed it seeing as the wounds on his shoulders were pretty bad. After they were rapped Sesshomaru went off to his room but he didn't go to sleep.

He packed up some of the cloths that Kagome had bought him, mostly just white and waited for the house to go quiet. When silence finally came he walked out of his room and he went over to Kagome's door leaving the bag he had packed outside. He walked through the door and looked upon Kagome; she was asleep and bathed in moonlight from the window. He walked over to her bed and bent down over her and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

Kagome's eyes fluttered open and as her vision became clearer she smiled up at Sesshomaru. "Hi," she said in a whisper.

"Hi," Sesshomaru said the same way. He ran his hand down the side of her face and said, "I really do love you."

Kagome smiled again. "I love you too." Sesshomaru leaned down and kissed her, at first it was slow and soft but slowly gained in passion until they were both panting for breath. Sesshomaru reluctantly pulled away and went to stand up but was tugged back by his shirt. He wasn't prepared though so he fell down onto the bed and by default on top of Kagome.

Sesshomaru would have gotten up had it not been for the fact that Kagome was still clinging to the front of his shirt. "Kagome," he asked when the girl had still not let go.

(A little lime)

Kagome looked up shyly through her lashes and said, "Don't go just yet." One of her hands left his shirt to brush against one of the stripped marks on his face and then pulled him down for another kiss. This time things got ever more heat and Sesshomaru gave a half strangled growl and her felt Kagome's other hand brush timidly against his lower regions. "Sorry," Kagome whispered, mistaking the growl for one of displeasure.

Sesshomaru looked down into the beautiful face below him and let out a groan as he brought their lips together once more. Kagome got the hint and the 'brush' became a little bolder until she finally just grabbed his erection through his pants and gave it a good tug. This caused Sesshomaru to abandon the kiss to let out a not loud but not all too quiet growl.

"Kagome," he started to say but he didn't get the chance to finish when Kagome jerked her hand up again. She suddenly let go and Sesshomaru thought she was finally going to let him up but he was mistaken. Kagome brought her hand up to the waist line of his pants and slipped her hand in to grab his erection once more. She slowly ran her hand up and down forcing more growls from Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru couldn't take in anymore and finally ripped the blanket from the bed and grabbed both her arms and pinned them above her head, holding them there with one hand and the other went for Kagome's shirt. He ran his hand under the silky material before ripping it off completely. Sesshomaru soon discovered that she hadn't been wearing anything underneath. He leaned his head down and kissed a path down her neck to in between her breasts.

He realized he couldn't do this now, at least not all the way. He couldn't risk leaving her with child considering he wasn't sure exactly how long he would be gone, but that didn't mean that he couldn't make her feel good before he left.

Sesshomaru released Kagome's arms and ran his hands down her sides and to the waste line of her sleep pants. One hand gripped her hip while the other moved under the waste band to her womanhood. At first he just teased her rubbing his hand a long the outside lightly causing her to thrust her hips to try and get more contact, but his other hand stopped her. He slipped one finger in and she let out a breathless gasp.

_He has long fingers,_ Kagome noted as that finger started to move in and out. Soon he added another finger and started to pump her faster and she let out a moan. When Sesshomaru changed the angle that his fingers were trusting at she let out an even louder moan and she swore she saw stars. He noticed the difference and every time he thrust back in he made sure to hit that same spot. When Kagome finally came it was amazing, she had never felt so good in her entire life.

(No more lime)

Sesshomaru laid down beside her and she felt her eyes start to close; she never thought that doing something like this would make her so tired. She felt her eyes close and the last thing she saw was Sesshomaru staring at her and she smiled at him and murmured sleepily, "I love you." With those last words she was asleep.

Sesshomaru just laid there for what seemed like forever. He couldn't bring himself to leave, but eventually he did, but not before leaving her with something. He leaned down to her neck and gentle bit into it. She didn't wake up but she let out a small whimper. Sesshomaru licked at the small wound and it healed into a mark of a blue crescent moon.

He got out of the bed, carefully as not to wake Kagome up and walked over to the door. He stood in the doorway for a minute and looked back at the girl he was leaving behind and only whispered, "I'll be back for you." He walked out into the hall and shut the door.

After a sigh and one minute more of just standing in front of her door Sesshomaru picked up the bag he had packed and went down the hall to the stairs. When he was finally out of the house he took a deep breath and one final look back remaking a silent promise and running off into the distance. When he got to the edge of the property he heard Kagome call his name and it took all he had not to look back at her, because if he had he wouldn't have been able to go and there were some things he needed to take care of.

c--c

Kagome woke with a start and panting slightly only to find Sesshomaru was no longer in her bed or her room for that matter. Without hesitating she got up from her bed, grabbed her torn shit from the floor, and put it on as best she could. Then she ran for the door and out into the hallway. She saw that Sesshomaru's door was open and ran for it, hoping that he had just gone back to his room. When she looked inside the room was empty and from what she could see from the doorway most of his cloths were gone.

'No!' she thought frantically. 'No, he can't be leaving." She ran all the way to the front door and when she got outside she fell to her knees out of breath and with tears running down her face as she saw Sesshomaru's shadowed outline in the distance.

"SESSHOMARU!!" Kagome cried out, but he didn't even look back at her. He just kept on running.

c--c

One year later . . .

Kagome stared out a window that faced the front of the house. It was something she had done a lot a while ago, but she didn't do it as much anymore. Everyone was rushing around today, her father was finally coming home after the year he had been away and he was bringing guests with him, the youkai Lord of the West and his two sons.

Kagome didn't really care; she hadn't really cared about anything since Sesshomaru had left that night. She looked out the window again and saw a carriage coming in the distance. A ghost of a smile graced her lips at the thought of her father's return but she couldn't bring up anything more genuine. Kagome briefly wondered why the Lord of the West was coming and why he was bringing his sons, but it didn't keep her attention.

As the carriage got closer Kagome decided to head down stairs to great her father and meet their guests. Kagome stood outside with her family. Her mother was on her right, Souta on her left, and Shippo next to him

Kagome stood outside her house with her family. Her mother stood on her right, Souta on her left, and Shippo stood next to him. The carriage stopped in front of them and the door swung open. Mr. Higurashi climbed down out of the carriage and greeted his family with open arms. Mrs. Higurashi walked slowly over while Souta and Shippo ran to the man.

"Dad! I missed you soooo much! You've been gone so long," Souta said as he latched onto his dad and Mr. Higurashi lifted the boy into the air.

"Grandpa!" Shippo shouted as he jumped up to the man's shoulder.

"Dear it's nice to see you home," Mrs. Higurashi said and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"It's nice to see you all as well," he said looking around. "Where's my daughter.

"Hello, dad," Kagome said from the same place she had been standing before. Mr. Higurashi put down Souta and Shippo and walked over to his daughter. He framed her face with his hands and looked into her face.

"You look so sad when I've brought you such a wonderful gift," he said and Kagome's eyes widened.

"If it's anything like this necklace you gave me then you can just keep it this time," Kagome says, indicating the Shikon Jewel around her neck.

"Not quite," he said and was about to turn to the carriage that had just pulled up behind his as he noticed something on Kagome's neck. He moved her hair slightly and found the blue crescent moon mark. "This I was not told about." Kagome blushed; she hadn't really wanted to tell him about that just yet. "He's going to have to take responsibility for this."

Kagome was just about to tell him that she didn't even know where Sesshomaru was, but he turned abruptly and walked over to the second carriage. Out of the carriage came a powerful looking youkai. He had long silver hair that he had tied up and golden-amber eyes. Kagome could have sworn it was Sesshomaru but he was much older and his appearance was slightly different.

Next came a young man also with long silver hair, but this man had hanyou ears and he looked a little disgruntled, like he was kind of pissed off. Before the next person came out of the carriage Mr. Higurashi started talking to him. "You didn't tell me you had already marked her. You're going to take responsibility for this young man."

Kagome's eyes widened again and she looked hopefully at the carriage. "I will of course take responsibility for her and compared to you I'm not exactly young," came a familiar voice and out of the carriage came the familiar person that came with it.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome called and ran to the silver hair youkai. She latched her arms around his waste and after the initial shock she felt his arms encircle her as well.

"Kagome," he whispered back taking in a deep breath of her scent. Kagome pulled back and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Kagome pulled back her hand and slapped Sesshomaru across the face.

"You asshole! Why did you just leave like that? Why didn't you just tell me where you were going?" Kagome asked as a few tears slipped from her eyes.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru started and he enfolded her in his arms once more. "I'm so sorry. I know it was stupid of me and I'm sorry that I hurt you like that. I won't blame you if you can't forgive me.

Kagome just sighed and held him tightly for a moment until she said, "I forgive you, just as long as you don't do it again."

"Come, I want you to meet my family," Sesshomaru said as he pulled her along. "This is my younger, half-brother, Inuyasha," he said indicating the disgruntled hanyou.

"Feh," was all he said. Sesshomaru glared him down and he rolled his eyes. "It's nice to meet you," he mumbled.

"And this," he indicated the older inu-youkai, "is my father, the Lord of the Western Lands. Father this is the girl I was telling you about, Kagome."

"It is nice to finally meet the young woman who has so captured my son's attention. He has spoken of nothing else for the past year since he came home."

"It's nice to meet you as well. I'm afraid Sesshomaru hasn't said nearly as much about you to me," Kagome said back.

The Lord of the West smiled at her, laughter glittered in his eyes as he walked toward the house with Kagome's father. "I believe we have some details to work out," the Lord of the West said.

"What details?" Kagome asked.

"Wedding details of course," Mr. Higurashi answered her.

"Wedding? Really? When?" Kagome asked excitedly.

"Yes a wedding and soon," her father answered again.

Kagome turned to Sesshomaru and threw her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. She was so happy. "We're getting married!"

"Yes, we are."

THE END

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InuyashaForever1989: And the series is over all though I may do an epilogue with the wedding and everything. Hope you enjoyed my 'super chapter' please review and no flames please.


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